Project reach
METGE is a 'not for profit' organisation, 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 2019
the programme celebrated the distribution of 10 million tree seedlings.
Target
By 2025 the programme will distribute 25 million tree seedlings.
To date
The programme has distributed 21 million tree seedlings and counting cumulatively in the Elgon sub-region.
Outreach
Approximately 54,000 beneficiaries have benefited from the project.
Donating
Support us to plant even more trees that will reduce CO2, mitigating the effects of climate change, helping rural communities reduce poverty by supplying a variety of trees for food, shelter, fuel and other financial benefits.
Before you donate we'd like you to know a bit more about what we do and how your money will be spent. That way you can be confident that what you give is managed through good governance.
METGE can only support it's projects and programme groups with the kind donations of supporters.
We're happy to receive any support you can offer or corporate donations. You're heroes, changing the world for the better. If you would like support this amazing programme, click here
Postal address:
Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise
PO Box 1595
Plot 29 Boma Avenue,
Mbale, Uganda
e-mail: info@metge.ug
METGE is supported by
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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 in-country Non-Governmental Organisation, Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise to achieve the ambitions of this programme. For more details click here
Community Nurseries and Tree Planting
Many large tree planting schemes opt to purchase land and plant regimented blocks of mono-culture, either for the carbon market, or for a timber crop. The Mbale Trees Programme differs to that, in that our model is to engage with the communities we work in, in order to increase the resilience of the people and their environment to the threats of climate change.
One of the pivotal roles within the entire programme is that of our tree nursery operators. METGE carefully selects how to site each tree nursery, after considering community enthusiasm, the overall network of nurseries, as well as the environmental and social benefits likely achievable from that site. Once a village is selected, METGE contacts the district environmental officer in order to create links to community members who have a passion for the environment, and who are willing to become part of the team of nursery operators. These nursery operators then grow, nurture, and distribute tree seedlings to local land managers and institutions for free, to plant on their own land. For more details click here
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 hail storms. Intercropping with agro-forestry trees is, therefore, the most common use of trees distributed in this programme. For details click here
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. For more details click here
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 Organisation (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. For more details click here
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 honey bees 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. For more details click here