News and Views
I’m delighted to introduce this edition of
TREE AID’s Update, which focuses on a
crucial area of our work: empowering
women.
Much of our work across the Sahel is
focused on women – women make
up roughly 50% of the population yet
over 70% of TREE AID’s beneficiaries are
women. So why is this so important? One
reason is that support is likely to have
a greater impact when it is targeted
at women. They are most involved in
ensuring the household is fed, clothed,
healthy and educated. So when support
is given to women it is more likely to
benefit the whole family and even the
wider community.
Another reason we target women is that
they are often the poorest and therefore
the most in need of help. Thirdly, trees
are traditionally the concern of women
in Africa so involving women is key to the
success of tree based projects.
For poor rural families in Africa’s drylands,
trees are a fantastic resource that provide
food, shelter and protection for their land.
But these communities also need some
cash income to provide basic needs such
as medicine, clothing and education.
We help women earn income from
trees through setting up successful tree
enterprises selling tree products such as
shea butter, nuts and fruits. You can read
more on Pages 4 to 9.
But the potential of trees to change
women’s and their communities’ lives
doesn’t just stop there. On a recent visit to
Burkina Faso, I met with a women’s group
who told me how TREE AID has helped
them form a women’s association to
better manage their local trees, not just for
today, but for future generations. The new
News from Niger
Philip Goodwin TREE AID CEO
meets with women
from a tree enterprise project
in Burkina Faso
associations mean the women speak up
and are more listened to in their local
communities, so they are having more say
on issues that affect their families.
It was a moving experience to witness
their passion and energy and to hear their
gratitude to all the “invisible” supporters
in the UK. Knowing that people like you,
thousands of miles away, care enough
to support them gives them energy to
continue in what are incredibly difficult
circumstances.
With the continued generosity of our
supporters we can make it possible for
more women like those in this Update
to use trees to transform their lives and
communities.
Philip Goodwin
Chief Executive
Front cover image: Ama Awin who runs a shea butter enterprise in Siisi village, Ghana
TREE AID Freepost (BS 8866), Bristol, BS2 8ZZ | Tel: 0117 909 6363
Email: [email protected] | website: www.treeaid.org.uk | Twitter: @TreeAid
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£18,000 for our work in the Sahel. Thank
you to everyone who donated.
In Niger, one of the poorest countries
in the world, a recent TREE AID study
found that more than 90% of households
could not meet their food needs for
up to half of every year. TREE AID is
currently working in Niger running tree
enterprise projects with 33 communities
helping them meet their food and basic
living needs. But in a country where over
90% of the population lives in poverty,
we know there’s so many more people
in Niger (and also across the Sahel) who
could benefit from our help.
Ama from Nyansa, Ghana who has been helped by
TREE AID
Christmas Trees
Women and children from a tree enterprise project,
Niger
Thank you - Radio 4
Appeal
Thank you to everyone who supported
TREE AID’s BBC Radio 4 Appeal last year.
Zoë Wanamaker told the story of Ama
who lives in northern Ghana and was
struggling to feed her family. TREE AID
helped Ama to use tree foods to feed
her family and provide an additional
source of income to buy food,
medicines and help send her children to
school.
A big thank you to all our
supporters and companies who
made donations to TREE AID over
Christmas. The Christmas Forest sell
sustainably grown Christmas trees in
London, and for every tree sold they
have enabled us to plant a tree in
a community in Africa. Supporters
were generous once more in their
response to our Christmas Appeal,
which raised over £30,000. On
behalf of the people we help thank
you for remembering them at this
festive time.
Every gift helps TREE AID to continue
working across some of the harshest
environments on the planet,
supporting thousands of villagers
to use trees to fight poverty and
protect their environment.
The appeal helped get our message
out to new audiences and raised over
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