Our Initiatives
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In each community where Trees for Life International works, programs are developed in response to local needs. Trees for Life provides tools of empowerment in the areas of education, health and environment. Working together in projects that strike at the root causes of poverty, malnutrition and disease, the villagers reap the benefits.
During our more than 20 years of experience in the field, several initiatives have been developed that can be replicated around the world and create a long-term impact. They are the main focus of Trees for Life’s work.
- Books for Life International introduces children in developing countries to the joy of reading and learning. We provide high quality, illustrated, native-language story books and other educational resources to inspire the imagination of children.
- The Moringa Tree is used in India's ancient traditional medicine, ayurveda, which says that Moringa leaves can prevent 300 diseases. Modern science confirms the basic idea—these humble leaves are in fact a powerhouse of nutritional value. Unfortunately, this vital information has not reached the people who need it most. Trees for Life is spreading knowledge of Moringa, encouraging further scientific study, and helping people to grow their own Moringa trees.
- Education is the key to empowerment and enables people to lift themselves out of poverty. Trees for Life works with communities who realize the value of education and encourages the development of schools, learning centers, cultural centers and libraries for children and adults.
- Fruit trees are planted and cared for by people in developing countries with help from Trees for Life. These trees provide a low-cost, self-renewing source of food for many people and protect the environment.
- Fuel-efficient cookstoves are built by community members who have received training through Trees for Life. Constructed from local materials, these stoves save up to75% of the firewood required for an open fire. Each stove helps to save one 20-year-old forest tree each year. And the stove adds many years to a woman's life by taking the soot out of the house through a stovepipe.
- Trees for Life Journal (ISSN: 1559-1891) is an online forum on beneficial trees and plants. It brings traditional knowledge to the attention of the scientific community, fostering and propagating small-scale field studies of traditional claims, and adapting scientific knowledge for effective application at the grassroots level.
Other initiatives are created in response to particular needs of a community. They can include digging water wells that provide clean water for drinking and irrigation, providing computers and training to use them, self-help craft projects that generate income, growing trees and vegetables to help village schools become self-sufficient, sewing centers, and many other types of initiatives.
