As he snacks on a piece of fruit he picked from his own garden, Hamisi Dule recalls what the land before him used to look like. It was completely waterlogged from heavy rains and poor drainage.
“It was like a swimming pool before; nothing was growing here.”
Hamisi is responsible for a 12-person household. But his Singida, Tanzania farm wasn’t providing. He had abandoned the waterlogged land and was finding work elsewhere.
Joining Trees for the Future
In 2020, Trees for the Future (TREES) staff opened a project in his community and he signed up. He and his fellow neighbors started learning about the Forest Garden Approach. It’s an agroforestry technique that encourages farmers to use permaculture and climate smart methods to restore degraded land.
“Forest Garden techniques rescued this land.”
Hamisi took advantage of the water control techniques he learned from TREES staff and successfully rehabilitated the farm. Today, it supports a variety of crops including fruit trees, timber trees, and vegetables.
“I never believed that one day this barren land would produce so much nutritious food.”
Transforming an Entire Farm
When he joined the program, Hamisi had 68 trees on the one acre Forest Garden parcel. Today, he has more than 4,400 trees growing. Among the thousands of trees are dozens of species of fruit and nut trees, fruits, vegetables, grains. They all support Hamisi and his family as sources of nutritious food and a steady income.
“I managed to earn a good income, which helped me buy livestock.”
He was also able to complete construction on his home.
From waterlogged and abandoned to thriving, Hamisi’s farm is a shining example of the power of the Forest Garden Approach. And it has left him feeling proud to be a farmer again.
“I feel joy when I look at my farm.”
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