On 30 October 2025, Rwanda Rehabilitation Initiative-RWARRI and its partners officially launched the 2025 tree planting season, bringing together the TerraFund for AFR100 team, officials from Rubavu and Rutsiro districts, and hundreds of community members. The campaign aims to plant 442,000 tree seedlings on consolidated degraded landscapes in this tree planting season across Rubavu, Gisenyi, Rugerero, and Nyamyumba sectors of Rubavu district and Kivumu, Kigeyo, and Mushonyi sectors of Rutsiro district.
The Rutsiro district representative, Mr. Uwihanganye Jean Baptiste, the Advisor to the Executive Committee, emphasized that successful restoration requires more than tree planting; it demands continuous care. He urged the community members to protect the young trees until they mature, highlighting the long-term benefits for both the environment and local livelihoods.
In his remarks, Mr. Ndera Jackson, from TerraFund for AFR100, developed the 2025 tree-planting slogan in Rwanda, “My Tree, My Legacy,” which strongly aligns with RWARRI and its partners’ commitment to restoring degraded landscapes and strengthening community resilience. For Mr. Ndera, promoting the idea that every individual tree contributes to a lasting legacy, the slogan reinforces RWARRI’s mission of empowering communities to take ownership of environmental restoration. “Through the Empowering Rutsiro and Rubavu Communities through Lake Kivu Catchment Forest Restoration, locally named Igiti ni Ukubaho (tree survive and we survive) project, RWARRI and partners support quality seedling production, large-scale planting, and continuous monitoring to ensure high survival rates; efforts that turn the slogan into tangible action on the ground. Together with district authorities, communities, and funding partners, RWARRI is translating this national vision into sustainable environmental impact for present and future generations”, explained Mr. Ndera.
For the RWARRI Executive Director, Mr. Uwizeye Belange, the seedlings include a mix of agroforestry, like Alnus acumanata, Senna siamea, Acacia angustina, Casuarina equisetifolia, Grevillea robusta, Calliandra calothyrsus; riparian restoration, such as Bambusa bamboo; native species, such as Croton megalocarpus and Markhamia lutea, and fruit trees, namely Persea Americana and Psidium guajava, selected not only to rehabilitate degraded land but also to support household nutrition and income generation as well as biodiversity preservation. According to the RWARRI Executive Director, fruit trees will help combat stunting among children. At the same time, agroforestry species will enhance soil fertility and create future economic opportunities for families, and native species will primarily be used for biodiversity preservation.
Community members, among them Ms. Devothe Iradukunda from Kivumu Sector, expressed a strong commitment to caring for the trees planted in 2025, recognizing the long-term benefits these trees will bring to their lives and environment. She understands that healthy trees will help restore degraded lands, improve soil fertility, protect water sources, and increase climate resilience in their villages. Ms. Iradukunda also appreciates the economic opportunities that will emerge from fruit trees, timber species, and improved ecosystem services. “With this awareness, communities are ready to participate actively in watering if necessary, protecting from rodents invasion, and monitoring the seedlings to ensure a high survival rate”, she added.
The collaboration between RWARRI, TerraFund for AFR100, Rubavu and Rutsiro districts' authorities, and residents reflects a shared vision for a greener, healthier, and more prosperous future.