Seeds of Resilience: Strengthening Community and Ecosystem Resilience in Kasese
Project Overview
At Maru Action Development Foundation, we are proud to launch “Seeds of Resilience: Empowering Indigenous and Marginalized Communities for Climate Action and Sustainable Livelihoods” — a community-centered project focused on promoting ecosystem restoration, climate-smart farming, and the preservation of indigenous knowledge systems.
This groundbreaking initiative is supported by the Climate Working Group of the Umverteilen Stiftung, a Germany-based foundation that funds transformative grassroots projects with a focus on justice, equity, and sustainability. Together, we are working to empower local communities to lead climate action through inclusive, practical, and culturally rooted solutions.
Where We Work
The project that started in January 2025 and ongoing is being implemented in Kasese District, Western Uganda, particularly among vulnerable, indigenous, and marginalized communities living in areas prone to climate shocks such as floods, landslides, and droughts.
Our Project Objectives
• Train women and youth in climate-smart farming techniques to enhance food security, nutrition, and household resilience.
• Restore degraded ecosystems through the planting of fruit and indigenous tree species in homes, schools, and community spaces.
• Integrate local cultural knowledge into climate and environmental education programs through storytelling, intergenerational dialogues, and school engagements.
• Promote youth leadership in environmental protection through creative campaigns and community mobilization activities.
What We’re Doing
At our core with the establishment of tree and vegetable nursery beds, we’re;
• Distributing and planting over 5,000 tree seedlings (fruit and indigenous species) with households, schools, faith-based centers, and other public places.
• Conducting community-led training sessions in agroecology and sustainable land use for women and youth groups, while distributing crop seeds and tools.
• Organizing school-based climate awareness campaigns, including learner-led tree care and environmental clubs.
• Engaging local leaders, cultural institutions, and environmental activists to co-create solutions that uphold both community well-being, eco-cultural practices and biodiversity preservation.
Why This Project Matters
In Kasese, Western Uganda, the effects of climate change are immediate and severe—frequent floods, landslides, shifting rainfall patterns, drought, and land degradation continue to threaten livelihoods. Through this project, we are not only planting trees—we are planting hope, dignity, and a sense of ownership in communities historically left behind in climate conversations.
Our Partnership with Umverteilen Stiftung
We are deeply grateful to the Climate Working Group of the Umverteilen Stiftung for their generous support and shared vision. This partnership allows us to amplify grassroots solutions that combine environmental protection with social justice and cultural preservation.
Together, we believe in resistance through regeneration—where communities, ecosystems, and indigenous identities thrive in harmony.
Get Involved
Interested in learning more or supporting this project?
Email us at [email protected] or visit our Contact Page.
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