Sahel Vert

Every planted tree - a sign of hope

November 2022

Cameroon

Population: 24 Millionen
Member union: UEBC (Union des Èglises Baptistes du Cameroun)

Areas of work
Church development | 3
Health care | 8
Capacity building | 7
Children at risk | 3

Let's green the Sahel!

The Extrême-Nord region in the very north of Cameroon has long suffered from the expansion of the Sahara. Enormous, life-saving efforts are needed to prevent the loss of soil, biodiversity and agricultural land. For over 40 years, the Sahel Vert project has offered a natural solution to the desert. In Dagaï, a tree-lined avenue that is unique in the region has emerged. The project is now being expanded to other villages and over the next few months more than 20,000 trees and wild hedges are to be planted.

Stabilizing the Sahel ecosystem

Mayo-Louti district in Cameroon connects Chad to the east with Nigeria to the west, while also bordering the extreme north region of Cameroon. In this region, the long-standing project is being expanded. The aim is to preserve biodiversity and the ecosystem. The plants reduce the CO2 content in the air, regulate the water and heat balance of the ecosystem and provide valuable shade.

With the expansion of the planting project from Dagaï to Mayo-Louti in the south-west, the Cameroonian Baptist Union UEBC (Union des Églises Baptistes du Cameroun) wants to provide long-term support to the multicultural and multi-religious population of North Cameroon who live from agriculture in the fight against soil degradation and erosion. In this way, malnutrition, impoverishment and diseases caused by poor water quality are combated in the long term.

Training imparts knowledge

In addition, the people involved are trained to use natural fertilizers and to preserve or restore biodiversity. Tree planting and reforestation techniques are taught in tree nurseries. In cooperation with the Baptist congregations, more than 20,000 trees are being planted on a total of 33 hectares of land in this region. The Baptist churches are the centers for training, multiplication and starting points for the planting campaigns.

Increased engagement - more plants

Since January 2021, the project has restarted with the aforementioned spatial expansion. Under the direction of Jonathan Woulkam , who has qualified in this area for years, people with managerial responsibility and those who start and accompany the planting campaigns are trained first. Hundreds of seedlings have already been planted, tree production has started and training has been conducted in several villages. In the long term, the people in the villages will then receive advice and technical support from experts. The sensitization of the population, the distribution of young trees and continuous reforestation are then permanently planned.

Donate 1 euro – plant 1 tree

Together we can make the Sahel green ! The cost per seedling (including training and project support) is around one euro.