As part of their visit to assess ECOTRUST’s biodiversity conservation and restoration initiatives within the Murchison Falls Landscape, representatives from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) visited the Tree Nature Women’s Group in Kidoma on March 19th 2025. This visit provided insights into how community-led conservation efforts are driving economic empowerment and environmental sustainability.
Located in Kiziranfumbi Sub-county, Kikuube District, the Tree Nature Women’s Group is a local women-led conservation initiative comprising approximately 80 members. Many of these women are active participants in ECOTRUST’s Trees for Global Benefit (TGB) project. The group plays a significant role in conservation and livelihood improvement through sustainable practices such as indigenous tree seedling propagation, handicraft production, and herbal medicine preparation.
Upon arrival, the visiting team was warmly welcomed with traditional song and dance, a practice that is now customary to the group. Annet Agaba, the group’s chairperson, introduced her committee, which includes leaders overseeing business enterprises, tree growing, youth engagement, security, and financial management.
When asked about the inspiration for forming the group, Annet shared that poverty was the primary driver. In 2008, she dedicated part of her land to establish a tree nursery, which has since grown into a flourishing enterprise. The group is now a major supplier of indigenous tree seedlings in their sub-county, cultivating species such as grevillea, terminalia, prunus africana, and maesopsis eminii.
Alongside tree nursery management, the women’s group has successfully diversified its income-generating activities by establishing an arts and crafts business, creating baskets, bags, table mats, and hats (to mention but a few). They have also ventured into herbal medicine production using extracts from the indigenous trees they grow. During the visit, the team witnessed the women in the midst of brewing herbal remedies, which they claim help prevent ailments such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
After showing the visiting team their well-maintained nursery, Annet articulated the group’s future aspirations using their Vision Road Journey. They aim to plant more trees, expand their business ventures, and improve their living standards, with members setting personal goals such as acquiring better housing and even purchasing cars.
The women credit much of their success to the various trainings they have received in nursery bed establishment, group formation, business planning, and development. Many of them have reinvested a portion of their Payments for Environmental Services (PES) earnings into the group’s enterprises to support their conservation and economic empowerment goals.
Annet encourages more women in her community to join the group and break the cycle of poverty through conservation-based enterprises. As she puts it, joining the group leads to “more happiness.”
The visit concluded with a stop at the group’s arts and crafts store, where the team had the opportunity to purchase some of their handcrafted products.
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