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