For Mary Allen, change is something that happens in the long-term. She's been living and working in the West African country of Mali for the last 24 years, and has seen her adoptive homeland go from drought and uncertainty to stability, fertility anda brighter future. Mary works for the Bamako-based charity Sahel Eco, one of ITF's key partners. Already, Sahel Eco, working with a range of other charities in the region, has rolled out a tree management strategy in Bankass (see our article in Trees 2009). Now, as part of its Regreening the Sahel project, the charity will be able to spread tree management and planting to the city of Mopti. "There are very few trees around Mopti," explains Mary, "but there are fields and livestock, so there's potential." Working in the 28 villages of the Sokura commune, which ring the growing city of Mopti, Sahel Eco will encourage farmers to grow and maintain trees on their own land for use as sustainable firewood, as well as to put nutrients back into the land and tocultivate fruit and animal feed.
展开▼
