Turning Fear Into Hope Through Sustainable Farming With GiftTrees

For many farmers, daily life once meant walking up to ten hours in extreme heat with cattle, searching for anything they could graze on. There was no certainty that food would be available for the family at the end of the day.

Some families were forced to make impossible choices between selling their last crops to buy milk or allowing their children to go hungry. This was not an occasional hardship. It was everyday life.

As one farmer explains, the situation was so severe that it took a long time to sell crops and fruit before they could afford to buy cows. Even then, there were times when buying food for the family was not possible.

Through GiftTrees, farming families can build more resilient and productive systems. Trees planted through agroforestry provide fodder for cattle, allowing farmers to produce sufficient feed locally.

This change means cattle can produce more milk than families need. The surplus can be sold, generating income to support food, education, and basic needs. Children can attend school with food in their bellies and clothes to wear.

By funding GiftTrees, partners help farmers add value to their land and crops. Once fruit and other produce are harvested from trees, they can be sold locally, thereby improving household income and strengthening the local economy.