Plant with Purpose progress report 2023

Background

Plant with Purpose is a non-profit organization that works with rural communities, implementing initiatives related to nature restoration and regenerative agricultural practices along watersheds, to improve crop yields, to bolster food sovereignty, and to improve water quality and access. They do it while empowering communities to find a path to self-sufficiency and resilience through so-called community Purpose Groups.

CTF support contributes to the Plant with Purpose project in the Sanya River, Tanzania, with goals to plant more than 230,000 trees, support 119 new and existing Purpose Groups and engage with 39 schools. This project showcases the positive impact of more trees and improved agricultural practices on local livelihoods, as well as empowers communities to take charge, which creates conditions for sustainable long-term community engagement and maintenance of results.

Progress

The organization achieved significant milestones, including the successful planting of 237,008 trees by partner farmers despite persistent drought challenges, highlighting the resilience and commitment of both farmers and staff. They also expanded their impact by developing three new and reinforcing 36 public school partnerships, fostering collaboration with teachers and students to establish on-site demonstration farms and tree nurseries, ultimately reaching hundreds of families. Furthermore, they launched six new Purpose Groups and strengthened 115 existing groups, involving a total of 2,956 families.

They are yet to precisely quantify the CO2 uptake resulting from their activities in Sanya River. However, assessment conducted for a similar program implemented in Wona watershed, Tanzania between 2005 - 2019, indicated that Plant With Purpose program activities have generated 6 times the amount of biomass carbon versus the control site at about 13.87 tonnes of carbon per hectare, demonstrating very promising and cost-effective results. The continued support would help Plant with Purpose expand their environmental and community work in Sanya River, leading to a more resilient nature and society.