THE TREE
A TIST UGANDA’S PUBLICATION
Volume I. Issue No. 92 August 2017
TIST Uganda August News letter 2017
The TREE is a monthly newsletter Published by TIST Uganda, a project area of The International Small Group and Tree Planting Program.
MISSION STATEMENT:
TIST Uganda is a community initiative dedicated to empowering small groups of subsistence farmers to combat the devastating effects of deforestation, poverty and drought.
OBJECTIVE STATEMENT:
Combining sustainable development with carbon sequestration,TIST supports the reforestation efforts of over 25,000 subsistence farmers. Sales of carbon credits generate participant income while TIST today also addresses Agriculture, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition and Fuel Wood challenges.
ADDRESS:
TIST Uganda. Katungu Hill, Bushenyi Town, P.O. Box 232, Bushenyi, Uganda, East Africa. Website: www.tist.org, info@i4ei.org
In this Issue:
- Bushenyi Received 67shillings for carbon payments
- The dry season is on lets guard against the fires
- Let our Eden start with TIST trees!
- Why working in groups is so important in TIST
- TIST marking 16 years of existence
BUSHENYI RECEIVES 67 SHILLINGS FOR CARBON PAYMENTS
Bushenyi the pioneer district in the TIST program receives Carbon money for their tree planted over 14 year’s back. Bushenyi received 67 million shillings. All the other districts received their payment Kabale (57m), Kanungu (145m) and Rukungiri (9m). Farmers were excited after signing their vouchers for having kept these trees for now 14 years. One of the pioneer farmers Mr. Zentaro George had this to say: “I thank TIST program for keeping the promise made when we signed the agreements for not to harvesting our trees that we plant for TIST program. They have kept their promise, so I encourage other farmers not to harvest their trees but to be patient because our benefit and promised money has been paid. Please remember the TIST values and do not harvest the carbon trees.
By Jennifer Turyatemba
Green Team members after meeting in Rukungiri
THE DRY SEASON IS ON LETS GUARD AGAINST THE FIRES
The months of July to September 2017 are the drought periods that usually receive a lot of sunshine where the grounds become so dry and most of the trees are prone to fire out breaks. This is to warn all farmers to protect their trees by clearing all the bushes in their fields and constructing fire lines. Any fire out break can destroy your woodlot no matter how big your plantation is. We request all farmers to kindly do this because fire out breaks is irreversible. Once your woodlot is burnt, it’s hard to regain it, unless you plant again this is starting from scratch. Please say no to fire.
LET OUR EDEN START WITH TIST TREES!
Genesis 2:15 God allowed Adam and Eve to live in Eden where it is described as having all trees necessary for life. The Garden had all the trees needed for the lives of human beings, animals, and of the trees themselves. God put us in our Eden, in our settlements, with spacious trees. Have we preserved these trees? Are we kind to trees? Is it easy for us to plant and preserve trees? Let our Eden start with TIST trees!
Do we have land enough on which to plant trees? Yes. Where?
-Planting groves on big land
-Planting along the paths to water wells, to homes -Planting around our portions of land -Planting around our animal farms
-Planting on the compound -Planting fruit trees in the banana plantations
-Planting indigenous trees in our gardens
What are the benefits?
- Trees provide shade and shelter to people, animals and crops
-Trees improve air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and breathing out oxygen
-Roots help water to enter the soil and improve soil water retention
-Trees reduce rainwater runoff that can cause dangerous floods and landslides
-Trees clean water entering streams and rivers, and can shade the water to keep it cool for fish and other animals that benefit us
-Tree roots hold the soil firm and stop soil erosion - Trees provide medicine, firewood and food
-Trees act as windbreakers.
Can we plant fruit trees?
Yes! TIST encourages planting of fruit trees. These fruits add a lot of value for TIST farmers, and may be more than the income from carbon offset sales.
How can we preserve our existing trees?
-Encourage our leaders to protect all trees existing now
-Plant more trees to support the ones in place
-Use best cooking methods, which take less firewood such as improved, cook stoves No trees, no life! Let us all join hands in reviving our destroyed Eden!
By Sarah Nankunda.
Bushenyi Volunteer trainers after meeting in Bushenyi
WHY WORKING IN GROUPS IS SO IMPORTANT IN TIST
TIST encourages farmers to form groups and to get to know their group members well before they register as TIST members. Small Groups are so important to TIST that they are even part of our name: The International Small Group and Tree Planting Program.
Why we have strength in our small groups
• We share knowledge about tree planting. We all know different things, and can learn from each other. In Small Groups, we discuss factors like where to plant, benefits of different tree species, when to plant, when to prune, and when to thin.
• We learn improved farming methods. In Small Groups, we can learn, discuss and share improved farming methods like conservation farming.
• We share challenges met and solutions: In groups, we share challenges we met in tree planting like pests and animals that destroy trees and crops, and suggest ways to overcome them.
• We Work together as a team: In groups, we develop a spirit of working together. Cooperation makes farm work easier. Some groups choose to work together to help prepare Conservation Farming holes for each Small Group member, working one day on one farm, and another day on another in turn.
• We build friendship and improve our relationships: In forming groups and working together, we improve our relationships between families and individuals for a better functioning society.
• We share farm equipments: Group members come to know and trust each other, and so can share some equipment used in farming such as hoes, pangas, machines used for pruning. Sharing equipment can reduce the cost of each member buying individually.
• Easier, better training and quantification: When groups are formed, it becomes easy for TIST trainers to reach the farmers and for quantifiers to count trees for these farmers in an area. Trees must be quantified for sale of carbon offsets and for farmers to receive a tree payment. It’s important that all members of a Small Group live near enough to each other to meet regularly. It’s important that they plant their tree groves close together so the Quantifier can easily walk from one to the next. This helps keep costs lower.
By Kayabuki Caleb Quantifier Kabale
Bushenyi TIST Farmers who attended meeting for public comment
TIST MARKING 16 YEARS OF EXISTANCE
It is now 14 years since TIST program started in Uganda. We thank God for our farmers who have been cooperative with TIST staff to make it a success within these years. It is a dream that is coming to its truth, farmers formed small groups some years back without knowing what was coming in future, but now we celebrate the 14 years in successful mood. Sensitizing farmers, planting trees, conservation farming, stove making is among many things that TIST has managed to do on ground that can be seen by everybody. We have a good number of TIST trainers in Kanungu, Bushenyi, Kabale and Rukungiri who are farmers and help to train others. Our farmers have been getting tree payments every year for the trees planted with hopes of getting even more money every year . They are now eagerly waiting for the sale of carbon credits and that will bring a big smile on the farmers faces. 8 The team of validators and Verifiers came to Uganda and visited some groves and what they confirmed made Uganda pass the exercise at that level and again this year 2017 in September we have another group of validators who will do be doing validation and verification of TIST program in Uganda. TIST has become a big family with new staff members, quantifiers and farmers; this is good for us and the program. We are TIST and we are one big family. TIST Program has now expanded to Northern Uganda and farmers are forming groups and planting trees for TIST Program. Our beloved farmers ensure monthly meetings are conducted in your small groups. God bless you in 2017.
Arineitwe Ezra Kagambira. Quantifier Kanungu.
TIST farmers during their weekly meetings