Growing resilience
In the hills of Western Uganda, climate change is more than just a global concern, it's a daily reality. For communities already grappling with economic hardship, the added pressure of landslides, floods and erratic rainfall makes survival even more difficult. And for people living with disabilities, these challenges are magnified.
But amidst these difficulties, Karambi Group of People with Disabilities (KaGPWD) is harnessing the power of trees to transform landscapes and lives.
The steep slopes of the hills in Western Uganda put it at serious risk of landslides
“We established 2 tree nursery beds that have the capacity of 30,000 trees each,” Lori, a project officer working with KaGPWD, told us. “These trees were supplied to the farmers. We have 500 farmers, 78 farmers with disabilities and 422 who are caring for those people living with disabilities.”
The trees are being planted on farms and homesteads where they are restoring biodiversity, enhancing soil and helping to provide food.
Kabugho Medress is a 46-year-old mother and grandmother who has been supported by these trees. Thanks to trees and training from the KaGPWD team, she’s created a kitchen garden, a practical and often beautiful way to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs.
“I have 5 children and one grandchild. I am disabled,” Kabugho told us. “I thank Karambi group. This organisation has helped me with a lot of things. Like kitchen gardening, using local methods of looking after our gardens.
“Currently my children are now feeding on nutritious foods.”
Kabugho Medress smiles in front of her new water tank
Kabugho is keen to share her knowledge with her community to help uplift more people. “The skills I gained from KGWPDS has helped me a lot. I am now able to train my neighbours in kitchen gardening.”
People living with disabilities face serious challenges in accessing water from rivers. And with an ever more erratic climate, well-watered trees and crops are vital. So our projects include training on water harvesting techniques. The project is also giving out water tanks. Kabugho received one alongside an ecostoves, which use a third the wood of a regular stove, making cooking cleaner, quicker and more sustainable. These small changes are making a big difference for Kabugho and her community.
“We thank the International Tree Foundation so much for supporting people living with disabilities” says Lori. “People are very proud of the project and we hope this project is going to thrive.”
Lori is a project officer working with KaGPWD
Looking after infrastructure
Sudden natural disasters can disproportionately affect people living with disabilities. From finding safe ground to coping if local infrastructure and services are damaged. As climate change accelerates, disasters like landslides are becoming more common and devastating. Samuel Muhindo, project officer with the International Tree Foundation, saw the aftermath of one such disaster.
“We found out that this area was washed away by a mudslide that affected people's plantations and the road,” says Samuel. “As we can see, this is a community road, but it was also washed away. So the reason we are here is to assess the impact of this mudslide to identify how many households were affected, so that we are able to restore this area.”
Assessing the damage after a mudslide
To mitigate the damage and prevent future disasters, we’ve turned to nature-based solutions, “We are trying to plant some bamboo grass so that the remaining land is never washed away.”
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We’re racing against time to restore landscapes, fight climate change and equip those who are most vulnerable to its effects. Join the restoration movement today.