Each of our three planting sites are planted and owned by the community of Bore themselves and, when the trees have matured, the harvested high-quality timber will provide a significant economic boost for these hard-pressed subsistence farmers, who have to deal with the impacts of climate breakdown every day. 

The afforestation work is managed on the ground, for the community’s benefit, by the Bore Green Umbrella Self Help Group – their management committee are seen here pictured in among the original Arsenal Forest neem trees.

A big part of their job as a management committee is to ensure that the project benefits, such as employment in the tree nursery or in the planting operations, are shared out fairly among all sectors of the wider community. 

Many neighbouring villages have asked if they can come on-board the project, so this season we’ll be providing employment for women from the nearby Amkeni community group. Our new signings are veteran tree planters and have already begun preparing the area and setting the first seedlings into the ground.