By providing beekeeping skills, METGE is aiming to assist local people in producing and harvesting organic quality honey, and other products like propolis...
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Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise
METGE is a 'not for profit' organization, registered and based in Uganda with its operations mainly restricted to the Elgon sub-region in the districts of Bududa, Manafwa, Sironko, Namisindwa, Bulambuli, Mbale and Bukedea.
In 2017, a new approach was developed to establish a new structure for the tree planting organization in Uganda. Shortly after that the Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise, was registered as a 'not for profit organization' here in Mbale, Uganda.
Our Overall Objectives:
To help the local community in the region adapt to climate change, to mitigate the effect of climate change, and to improve livelihoods.
Growing trees in community-based nurseries and distributing them freely to individuals and others, with the aim of increasing the variety, and coverage of trees in the general Mbale and Mt Elgon regions.
Encouraging people in the mountain Elgon region to adopt modern agroforestry techniques in order to improve soil retention and quality, family nutrition and protection from storm damage.
Providing technical and advisory services to farmers in the Mt Elgon region to promote activities complementary to tree growing such as bee keeping, the construction and distribution of fuel-efficient stoves and coffee production.
Carrying out any other business or activity which may seem capable of being conveniently done in connection with any activity of the organization
Our Mission
To enable individuals and communities to see the benefits of growing trees, mitigating the effects of climate change, providing sustainable supplies of fuel, shelter and food, and alleviating poverty for today and for future generations.
Our Vision
Healthy, safe and prosperous communities in the Mount Elgon region.
About Us
About Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise
Mbale is a region in Eastern Uganda, overlooked by the imposing Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano of the Great Rift Valley. Wagagai, its highest summit, is at an altitude of 4,321m and sprawls out over 4,000 kilometres squared, making it the largest volcanic base in the world! Within the last few decades, the environment around Mount Elgon has changed significantly. Rainforests have been cut down and populations have increased exponentially. The Welsh Government has worked in this region since 2006, building strong relationships with its people, as well as funding projects in education, healthcare, and the environment. The biggest programme yet to be funded by the Welsh Government’s Wales and Africa team is the Mbale Trees Programme. Welsh charity Size of Wales works closely with an in-country Non-Governmental Organization, Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise to achieve the ambitions of this programme
Our service area
We have Reached Approximately 54,000
beneficiaries have benefited from the project.
To date The programme has distributed 21 million tree seedlings and counting cumulatively in the Elgon sub-region.
Community Nurseries and Tree Planting
The Mbale Trees Programme stands apart from many tree planting initiatives by prioritizing community engagement over regimented mono-culture plantations aimed at carbon markets or timber production. Their approach focuses on enhancing community resilience to climate change. Key to their strategy are tree nursery operators, pivotal figures within the program. The selection of nursery sites involves careful consideration of community interest, the broader nursery network, and potential environmental and social benefits. Once a village is chosen, METGE collaborates with the district environmental officer to identify community members passionate about environmental causes. These individuals are then trained to operate tree nurseries, nurturing and distributing tree seedlings to local land managers and institutions for free, encouraging widespread tree planting on their respective lands.
Community engagement
The Model Parish approach was inspired and born out of METGE discussions in 2018 with community leaders across the Mount Elgon Region. This is a more holistic approach to tree planting and agro-forestry, working with smallholder farmers on a village scale and bringing them together to discuss issues, receive training and embrace tree planting within their communities. As well as the nursery operators, who are central to the functionality of this approach, METGE also employ 'Community Facilitators'. These facilitators are respected members of the village, who have a good understanding of agro-forestry practices, and who are able to enthuse community members to embrace these holistic methods of growing trees and food.
Bee keeping
As part of the holistic management of the environment in the Mbale region, METGE also employs an apiary specialist. Bees provide countless benefits to people, and the environment. Bees not only help to pollinate around a third of crops worldwide, but they also help to protect crops from attack by elephants. Bees also provide food for humans in the form of honey, as well as wax, and medicine in propolis and venom. Our bee keeping specialist is tasked with training local farmer groups, individuals, and communities on the benefits of bees, as well as the best ways to manage African honeybees to ensure their populations thrive. This includes important hygiene methods needed in the hive, ensuring that there is adequate forage for the bees year-round, and of course, safe and effective ways to harvest a sustainable crop from the hives.
Impacts of tree planting
Since the Mbale Trees Programme began in 2008, we have distributed more than 20 million trees, for free, to farmers, schools, families, and land managers in the Mount Elgon region. These trees have been planted in a variety of settings. Due to land fragmentation as families grow and split their farms, many farmers have less than one hectare to grow enough food for their family. If the land is managed carefully a sustainable cash crop such as coffee, beans, or bananas can be grown alongside a family’s food. All of these crops benefit greatly from tree shade, which can provide protection from the strong sun, and from sudden heavy downpours, strong tropical winds, and large destructive hailstorms. Intercropping with agro-forestry trees is, therefore, the most common use of trees distributed in this programme
Lorena energy-saving stoves
As well as distributing trees from our nursery network, we also train communities in building Lorena fuel-efficient stoves. More than 90% of cooking in Uganda is done using wood, and the traditional way of doing this is with the '3 stone fire'. Although popular, this method can bring about many disadvantages. The open fire is a hazard, especially for the young. The smoke from these fires - which are usually enclosed in small rooms - is highly toxic, and according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) can cause significant health problems such as pneumonia in infants, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. Finally, the 3 stone fires are highly inefficient, since most of the heat is lost to the atmosphere, thus requiring greater quantities of wood.
Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise
Mbale is a region in Eastern Uganda, overlooked by the imposing Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano of the Great Rift Valley. Wagagai, its highest summit, is at an altitude of 4,321m and sprawls out over 4,000 kilometres squared, making it the largest volcanic base in the world! Within the last few decades, the environment around Mount Elgon has changed significantly. Rainforests have been cut down and populations have increased exponentially. The Welsh Government has worked in this region since 2006, building strong relationships with its people, as well as funding projects in education, healthcare, and the environment. The biggest programme yet to be funded by the Welsh Government’s Wales and Africa team is the Mbale Trees Programme. Welsh charity Size of Wales works closely with an in-country Non-Governmental Organisation, Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise to achieve the ambitions of this programme.
Our Partners
Mount Elgon Tree
Growing Enterprise is supported by.
Latest News
Latest news and Stories
Farmers heed our call to come to nurseries for free tree seedlings
Beekeeping Entrepreneurs Reap big Rewards from METGE Training – Copy
By providing beekeeping skills, METGE is aiming to assist local people in producing and harvesting organic quality honey, and other products like propolis...
Read More
Beekeeping Entrepreneurs Reap big Rewards from METGE Training
By providing beekeeping skills, METGE is aiming to assist local people in producing and harvesting organic quality honey, and other products like propolis...
Read MoreLocation address :
Plot 29 Boma Avenue, Mbale, Uganda
Email address :
info@metge.ug
Phone numbers :
Telephone : (+231)-456-9875, Mobile: (+546)-223-453-776
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