Kindia - Guinea

Near Kindia, the aim is to develop agroforestry by creating real forest gardens, benefiting both local communities and the environment, thanks to a wide variety of tree species. Local communities plant agroforestry fruit trees in their fields. These trees create shade for their underlying food crops, and enable them to feed themselves on the harvested fruit and to sell the surplus on local markets for additional income. These fruit trees are complemented by fast-growing species such as acacia and gmelina, to provide communities with a sustainably managed resource of timber and firewood. The aim is to avoid cutting down existing forests. In parallel with the planting activity, RENASCEDD manages the maintenance and monitoring of the planted trees from September to May. The NGO also offers training in sustainable agriculture to the beneficiaries of the reforestation project, so that local communities can achieve autonomous development that respects their environment. Finally, part of the project also focuses on planting mangroves on the Guinean coast, to help preserve the coastline. Mangroves help to combat coastal erosion and salt water intrusion, which renders coastal land unfit for cultivation, to protect surrounding villages from rising sea levels, and to preserve the coastal biodiversity on which local populations depend for their food. This tree-planting project helps to restore a degraded coastal ecosystem, diversify the income of local communities by reforesting inland areas, and raise awareness of environmental protection issues.