This 50-year plan to plant 10 million trees in Timor Leste restores the land on which the trees grow and generates sustainable incomes for the local communities.
Timor-Leste’s community
Timor-Leste is one of the world’s youngest nations and is part of in the Rotary South Pacific region. Unfortunately, deforestation has devastated its local ecosystems, impacting land and communities. Over 40% of Timor-Leste’s population live below the poverty line and over 70% of the population lives in rural areas and grow their own food.
This is being actively turned around with the Growing Futures in Timor-Leste, a Rotary-led project which partners with Rai Matak, a community-led, national carbon farming project across Timor-Leste.
Generating sustainable income for farming families
As part of this project, farmers plant and care for native trees on their own land and are paid each year for every surviving tree. After eight years, the sale of certified carbon credits, units representing the reduction in carbon emissions, provides ongoing sustainable income for families and funds for community projects (e.g. bridges, water, tanks, irrigation, community centres).
This is a proven approach, building on the WithOneSeed pilot (500,000 trees and US$1 million paid to farmers) of the xpandFoundation, ensuring strong local leadership and science-based outcomes.
Rotary’s lasting impact
Rotary International has several areas of focus, including Community & Economic Development and Supporting the Environment. This project demonstrates these focus areas in action.
Read more about the Rotary Club of Melbourne and Rai Matak who are instrumental in the continuation of this project.
Want to get involved with Rotary and create a lasting impact? Get in touch today to learn more about volunteering opportunities.