Our Community – Led Forestry Programme

Restoring Life to the Land

In Southern Ethiopia, deforestation has left hillsides bare and families vulnerable. Forests are the foundation of rural life: they protect soil, regulate water, provide food and fuel, and store carbon. Without them, erosion spreads, crops fail and climate shocks hit harder. Women, who carry the heaviest burden of collecting fuel and water, must travel ever further for wood as the forests are depleted.

Community-managed woodlots are changing this reality. Unlike large plantations, these small plots are established on degraded land and remain under local ownership. Communities themselves decide how they are planted and cared for. The results are powerful and lasting: soils are restored, biodiversity returns, and families gain nutrition and income from fruit, nuts and honey. By reducing carbon emissions and creating sustainable livelihoods, woodlots build long-term resilience for all.

Vita Impact’s forestry programme works alongside these communities to bring forests back to life. By April 2025, the programme had already:

– Supported 19 local nurseries to raise 1.6 million seedlings

– Prepared 450 hectares of degraded land for planting

– Established Community Forestry Committees to manage and protect each site

Forestry also complements and strengthens every part of Vita Impact’s wider work. Restored forests protect springs and rivers, while repaired water points reduce the need to boil unsafe water. Fuel-efficient cookstoves cut firewood use by more than 50%, giving young trees the chance to grow. And healthier soils and shade from trees support climate-smart farming, boosting harvests and household food security. For women especially, this means less time spent gathering wood, better family health, and new opportunities to earn income and lead in their communities.

Looking Ahead

Our goal is ambitious but achievable: 20 million trees planted by 2028. This is subsidiarity in action—communities are not just consulted, they are in charge of planning, planting and protecting their own forests. The programme also supports Ethiopia’s national Forest Development Strategy, aligning local priorities with national restoration goals.

With the right support, this proven model can grow even further—reviving fragile ecosystems, planting millions more trees and helping families, especially women, to build greener, healthier and more resilient futures.