Women and youth are at the heart of Africa’s restoration movement. The Green Belt Movement is strengthening governance and leadership by local communities in Kenya to accelerate tree planting and reforestation efforts.
Empowering Women and Youth Leadership in Replanting and Restoration Sites in Kenya
Founded by Noel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai, the Green Belt Movement (GBM) is a grassroots organization mobilizing local communities in Kenya to establish indigenous tree nurseries to encourage women and youth to protect their lands and leverage economic opportunities.
Since its founding in 1977, GBM has planted over 57 million trees and restored five million hectares of degraded forests and landscapes. A global leader in restoration, GBM will utilize the Bezos Earth Fund’s investment to increase replanting and restoration capacity building and strengthen local leadership and governance within climate-vulnerable communities.
In collaboration with governmental partners including Kenya’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, GBM hosts trainings for elected Tree Nursery Group representatives on topics covering environmental governance, restoration best practices, and improving livelihoods through restoration.
Encouraging local leadership, the elected representatives disseminate learnings to other members of their Tree Nursery Group, reaching an estimated 3,600 smallholder women farmers across key restoration communities.