Fruit & Nut Trees Planting in Secondary Schools   

Oranges,  Guava, Figs, Marula Nut, Cashew

Abubakar Usman Abdu

N’djame Humanist Mutual Aid, Chad

usmanabduabubakar2@gmail.com

+23562061617

Project Description 

Chad urgently needs mass tree planting for several compelling reasons. First and foremost, the country faces severe environmental challenges, including deforestation, desertification, and soil erosion. Mass tree planting can combat these issues by stabilizing soil, preventing erosion, and replenishing forests.

Additionally, Chad is highly vulnerable to climate change, experiencing erratic rainfall patterns and prolonged droughts. Trees act as natural climate buffers, helping regulate local climates, provide shade, and reduce heat. They also sequester carbon, making them crucial in mitigating global climate change.

Economically, tree planting offers income opportunities through the sustainable harvest of timber, firewood, and non-timber forest products. This can alleviate poverty and contribute to economic stability.

Moreover, Chad's agriculture sector, upon which many depend for their livelihoods, can benefit from trees providing shade and windbreaks, enhancing crop yields and food security.

Finally, tree planting engages communities in environmental conservation, fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility, and promotes ecological education among citizens.

We will plant 400 fruit trees in public schools in Farcha, Chad.

We will use all funds provided to plant and get materials that allow the tree planting feasible. We will start by preparing nurseries of these fruits and then go on to transplant into the vicinity of the selected schools while entrusting the grooming and survival of the trees into the hands of the agricultural clubs and students of the schools. Wire mesh will be put around them for protection and regular watering will be provided. We will go round every month to inspect the trees and record growth and observation in a report that will be shared with HuMAN

Budget Breakdown (Total: $300):

● Polythene nylon for nurseries Preparation  $37

● Selected fruit seeds (Oranges,  Guava, Figs, Marula nut, Cashew) $120

● Wire mesh net for guiding the nursery plant $20

● Water can $25

● Manure tea $15

● Stationary for recording and monitoring the Tree’s growth $10

● Equipment (hand trowel, spade and cutlass) $53

● Payment for manual labor $20 

Conclusion: This budget outlines a cost-effective plan to introduce the planting of trees as a preventive means of eradicating desert encroachment in Chad. The pilot project's success will pave the way for broader adoption of the practice of planting trees amongst secondary school children in Chad, contributing to long term to afforestation  and agricultural sustainability.

Benefit to my community

Tree planting in my community will improve air quality, prevent soil erosion, and mitigate climate change. It offers economic opportunities through sustainable resources, enhances community health, and fosters biodiversity. Access to fruits and nuts ensures food security, while trees also aid in water management. Education and cultural significance enrich community life. 

Why I became a humanist

My humanism is influenced by my curiosity, since I cannot attend school. I am an autodidact who loves to read. My reading first introduced me to atheism books, that of Richard Dawkins and the paleontologist Stephen Jay Goulds.  I was convinced there is no God and still yet somehow convinced we have to be good humans, atheism didn't give me this. Humanism did, and many YouTube videos cemented my faith in secular humanism. I live my life as a humanist, I try to be good to my neighbors, indulge in moderate hedonism, and contribute to the greater good of mankind.

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