Sixty percent of Ethiopia’s Benishangul Gumuz region was once covered in dense forest. But this percentage is falling fast.
Poverty is rife amongst the communities who live in and around these precious forested areas, and in a desperate bid to provide for their families, many poeple turn to gold mining to earn money – a dangerous and unrewarding business that causes deforestation and long-lasting environmental damage. But Farm Africa knows there is an amazing solution hidden in the trees…
Incense is one of Ethiopia’s biggest exports. Widely in demand across the world, this fragrant sap can be harvested from trees without causing any long-term damage. This can give local families a reliable source of income, and gives the trees a value that communities are keen to protect!
Jashera can vouch for this. When her husband passed away, life became an uphill battle. Things got so bad that she couldn’t afford to send her son to school.
Like many farmers, Jashera turned to gold mining to boost her income. But after weeks of hard work away from her family, she often returned hungry and emptyhanded. But then Jashera joined Farm Africa’s Forest Products project.
“I initially gathered 40kg of incense and earned a good amount of money.” As well as teaching Jashera how to harvest, dry and store her incense, Farm Africa has linked her cooperative to large-scale buyers, so members can build reliable and forest-friendly income streams.
This year, Jashera has increased her harvest to 150kg and is really seeing the difference her new income can make. “Now, thanks to the project, I can meet my family’s basic needs, and also send my son to school again!”
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