Agri Kultuur July / Julie 2016 | Page 53

It’s my dream to have FIFTY strong healthy new baobabs planted and thriving out in the wild by 2017. This will provide additional fruit annually, increase the genetic diversity as well as ensure a new generation of young vigorous baobabs complementing the much older generations of trees currently around. Another dream has been to create an educational booklet for distribution in schools, libraries, tourist outlets and government offices about Baobabs, about how much they contribute to our environment and local economy and why they are so important. “It’s about creating a culture of caring for the future, for our communities and for our earth”. This booklet is now available and can be purchased for R50. All proceeds go towards the Baobab Guardians project. Up until now, EcoProducts has financed the Baobab Guardians Project but now we’re ready to take this project global! We’re thrilled that Bonga Foods and the Bonga Foundation has stepped forward and generously offered their contribution. They’ve provided sufficient seed-funding to get this project started. We’re also very grateful to Sevenhills Wholefoods who have so generously funded one year of the program. Timeline This 4-year project is made up of the following phases: Phase 1 (2014 – 2015) Train rural women in the ecology and conservation of baobabs and how to grow baobab seedlings. The trained women grow baobab seedlings in their home gardens until they are strong enough to survive being planted out (1m). Seedlings are planted in the village and they are taken care of by the women who grew them, who are then known as the baobab guardians. This takes place at the beginning of the summer season. Phase 2 (2015 – 2017) The growing of trees until they are 3 meters high and can survive on their own without being damaged by domestic animals and can survive drought. The trees are evaluated annually and each guardian is rewarded for each centimetre the trees grow. Phase 3 (2016 – 2017) An information booklet on baobabs will be produced and workshops will be held to showcase the Baobab Guardians and create awareness of the achievements of the project. We will also engage with the Department of Education and give talks at local schools to disseminate baobab information booklets and brochures. At the end of 2017, there will be a final evaluation and celebration of the project completion as well as a final publicity campaign. How can you get involved? In addition to rewarding our Baobab Guardians and creating this website, we still need to source donors and set up donation channels for donors; in other words, lay the basic foundations required for launching a successful project. We need a total of R400,000 to ensure that our 4 year plan succeeds. . I would also like to mention that if any readers want to contribute to planting a baobab tree and have it looked after and monitored for the next three years it only costs R1900. I will send them a photograph of the tree when it is planted and a photo of the “Baobab Gaurdian”, the women who will be looking after it. Twice a year I will send them updates on how their tree is doing with photographs. I can’t imagine an African landscape without Baobab trees silhouetted against the sky. Baobab trees are an integral part of our natural heritage and our indigenous culture; quite simply they belong to Africa. Contact Sarah Vorster: [email protected] If you’d like to find out more or contribute by becoming a sponsor. You may also visit our website: http://www.ecoproducts.co.za