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 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.”