George Banturaki

At first, George received carbon payments from one plot. But one day, he was surprised to find a large payment waiting for him from another plot. With that money, he replaced his temporary house with a permanent home for his family. This moment made him fall in love with tree planting and gave him a strong reason to keep going.

George now manages his trees with a long-term plan. He allows them to mature so he can harvest timber in a sustainable way—cutting gradually and always replanting to keep the forest alive. One time, someone offered him UGX 150,000 for a big tree, but instead of selling it cheaply, he cut it himself and made timber, firewood, and offcuts, earning over UGX 500,000. Since then, he’s been very protective of his forest, only allowing responsible use.

The income from carbon payments has helped George pay for his children’s education and other home improvements. He believes his older trees will bring even more value in the future and hopes they’ll keep supporting his family for generations.

George plans to leave behind not just land, but a thriving forest that will keep giving his children income and opportunities. He’s grateful to ECOTRUST for starting him on this journey and encourages all tree growers to care for their trees so they, too, can enjoy long-term success.