Planting trees are an essential part of helping rural communities adapt to climate change. Trees release oxygen, prevent erosion, and they help the soil retain groundwater. The right trees can do all of that and be another source of food and income.

Since 2015, Le Korsa has been distributing thousands of fruit trees—banana, cashew, lemon, mango, moringa, and papaya—to families in rural Tambacounda. Our agricultural team maintains a tree nursery at Thread, and they help people learn how to protect and nurture their seedlings.

In the last few years, as brush fires in the area have become more intense, we have begun to help villages plant cashew trees as a firebreak. We work with the youth of each village to form a tree-care committee, and we provide trainings and seedlings for the 18 participating villages.

Le Korsa also maintains a tree nursery in the city of Tambacounda, where we have been working with local authorities to plant trees along streets and thoroughfares, as well as in the protected forest just outside the city. Watering and protection from animals are the most important factors in ensuring these city trees survive, so we hire a motorcycle to traverse the city with water for the trees, and we install locally fabricated iron cages around them. Le Korsa's seedlings are available to any resident who would like one.