Reforesting Rwanda - Planting our Future

Rwanda is known as the land of a thousand hills — but for many smallholder farmers in the country's mountainous south, these hills are deforested, and the soils are severely degraded.

Deforested and degraded hill terraces in Rwanda's Southern Province

Deforestation is a pressing national issue. Rwanda’s environmental agency estimates that between 1960 and 2007, the country lost 64% of its forest cover. Although the rate has slowed in recent years, the process continues. The consequences are stark: landslides that sweep away farmland and homes, loss of fertile topsoil, and silting in valleys that disrupt agriculture and ecosystems.

Darius, a smallholder farmer in the reforestation project

Darius is a farmer with an AEE Rwanda agroforestry and reforestation project. He has farmed his area since the 1980s. Maybe twenty years ago, he recalls, “A project came to build progressive terraces, and at that time farming was really good. But because farmers weren’t aware, they cultivated the banks of the terraces, and they started to degrade.”

There were trees on the hills, but smallholder farmers on poor land are often faced with difficult choices. Darius explains, “Due to poverty, the trees were all cut down to sell.” The slopes eroded, the soil became sandy, and the terraces were largely destroyed. With the loss of the trees, their land became even less productive. “It was not a good choice,” Darius concedes, “but now we have become wiser about planting new trees, and we are trying our best to protect them so they can grow.”

Workers tending seedlings at the Gikundamvura nursery

In 2024, AEE Rwanda programs are raising over 420,000 tree seedlings, including fruit trees, lumber trees, fodder trees, and species that will stabilize slopes.

AEE Rwanda has contracted a third-party operator to manage the nurseries, creating local jobs.

Beatrice working at the Gikundamvura nursery

Beatrice, a young mother, manages one of the nursery beds. “When they said they would be making a nursery bed here, we were overjoyed,” she says. In rural areas where reliable employment is scarce, the income can be a lifeline. “This project has been of great value to us. Now we are able to pay school fees for our children and medical insurance from what we earn.”

Beyond the income, the work brings experience and new skills. “I meet different leaders and people with different expertise,” Beatrice says. “We come together and they teach me, and due to that, I have picked a variety of new skills.”

Paul, government agronomist for Gitambi sector

Though the project is in its first year, hopes are high. Paul, the Gitambi Sector agronomist, says that the impact will go beyond restoring the slopes and the soils. “We expect that the farmers will use the fruits from the fruit trees, like avocados, for themselves and will help in eradicating malnutrition in the area.”

The seedlings are just a first step: it will take a few years before the trees mature and the full benefits are realized. Darius is optimistic: “Firstly, we believe it will increase crop production. Secondly, because trees will grow, we shall get better air and our environment will be cleaner, and as we plant more trees, we will get firewood and timber.”

Smallholder farmers and nursery workers at the Gikundamvura nursery