In Their Own Words: William Mkushi

My name is William Amule Mkushi, and I originate from the Kush mountains of Southern Sudan. I have been completing my studies in Communications and Media at the Habari Maalum Media College in Arusha since 2021. Over the past 6 months I have been an intern at ECHO East Africa where I have been gaining practical experience in environmental restoration through agroforestry, agroecology, and doing several films and photography to support ECHO’s work.

"I have witnessed the excitement of smallholder farmers when we have trained them in contour establishment on highly eroded hillsides"

I have witnessed how planting more trees can be a way to help address drought in East Africa, as trees can play an important role in improving water availability and mitigating the impacts of drought. Trees can help to increase soil moisture retention and reduce evaporation, which can help to improve water availability for plants and animals. Trees can also intercept rainwater and reduce runoff, helping to conserve water in the soil.

I have witnessed the excitement of smallholder farmers when we have trained them in contour establishment on highly eroded hillsides, followed by distributing multipurpose trees. In November this year, ECHO East Africa distributed about 25,000 trees of eleven different species to small scale farmers in a 15 kilometer radius of the Impact Center. The program took about three weeks to complete distribution, while geotagging is ongoing. I have been involved in producing videos and photos with the intention of providing the local media with information to create awareness of this effort.

It should be noted that best practices in distributing trees are more involved than simply giving trees to small-scale farmers. We trained farmers in adequate digging of holes, mulching to maximize the effect of scant rainfall, recognizing the trees received and their uses, on protecting the trees from livestock through village bylaws and encouraging practices like zero-grazing at least during the first year of establishment. 

Tree distributions are not a stand-alone solution to addressing the challenges faced by these communities. They should be implemented as part of a comprehensive strategy that takes into account the specific needs and contexts of the farmers and the community.”  

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