His name is Tabi Joda and in 10 years he has managed to plant a million trees in Cameroon. He now he aims to hit the billion to combat unemployment
His name is Tabi Joda and he grew up in the forest, spending hours playing with his friends in the trees that lined the Mambila Plateau between Cameroon and Nigeria. But as the years went by, he noticed that his forest had fewer and fewer trees to climb and that deforestation continued unabated, turning his beloved green creatures into deserted timber and farmland. So he bought a piece of land where he hopes to plant a billion trees to provide work in an area at risk of starvation.
Thanks to the help of his parents, in 2010 Joda acquired a large plot of land and started an agroforestry business which he called, not surprisingly, One Billion Trees for Africa. There, 10 years ago she started planting trees by enlisting young people from her community.
"The extent of the deforestation was shocking," he said. "The land was barren, wildlife had diminished and invasive species had taken over."
Joda estimates that he has already planted approx a million trees between kola nuts, cashews and avocados. It currently employs 20 people and plans to hire even more young people and women from the community to produce a full range of plant-based products that can both add value to the forest by restoring it to new life and create jobs in a battered land. In fact, from plants workers could make skin care products derived from avocado and castor oils, as well as supplements such as moringa powder.
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"If I have managed to create jobs for 20 people, it must be possible to create many more jobs by giving new opportunities to young people who emigrate and risk their lives elsewhere," he said. "I want to prevent them from being climate refugees."
The environmental balance is in fact also linked to a human balance, with more and more friends from his childhood who undertake the dangerous journey to Libya in search of work and opportunities in Europe. Some have returned, but many have not. It was then that Joda decided that she had a responsibility not only for the memory of her missing friends, but also for their community and the planet.
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"A forest should offer both environmental services and economic opportunities," Joda said. "Agroforestry restores the ecosystem and provides livelihoods."
Its history has been around Africa and the world. Since 2010, Joda has never stopped and has spent a lot of time with farmers and communities across the continent, from Burkina Faso to Uganda.
“By planting a combination of trees, including 70% native species, local populations benefit from the food, medicine, animal feed and other ecosystem services provided by the forest. By providing ecological economic opportunities, community members are now certifyingly returning and earning revenue from these resources. The revitalized forest has also improved the community's ability to adapt to the impacts of climate change, ”she said.
Among the accolades he has received for his efforts is his inclusion in 2019 as an ambassador for the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative.
“I want to encourage people across the continent to replicate what I have done in my forest,” he said. "If every person plants a tree, we could do it."
Bravo!
Sources of reference: afr100, UN Environment Program
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