{"id":1257,"date":"2025-07-23T12:34:50","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T15:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/34.39.255.174\/?p=1257"},"modified":"2025-07-28T12:38:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T15:38:37","slug":"mujeres-lideres-accion-climatica-uganda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ayni.mascomunidad.org.ar\/en\/mujeres-lideres-accion-climatica-uganda\/","title":{"rendered":"RESTORING FORESTS, BEES AND LIVELIHOODS: WOMEN-LED CLIMATE ACTION IN SOROTI, UGANDA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ann Grace Akiteng, a Local Innovators Program participant and Community weaver,<\/em>is leading a women-centered initiative that integrates beekeeping, forest restoration, and community enterprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Restored forest areas in Atigo Central Forest Reserve<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to Global Forest Watch,<\/em><\/a>Soroti had 2,570 hectares of natural forest in 2020, representing just 0.76% of its land area. By 2024, the district had lost 40 hectares of this forest, resulting in an estimated 18.3 kilotons of CO\u2082 emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This loss is more than a number. It reflects the broader ecological degradation threatening ecosystems and livelihoods across Uganda\u2019s Teso sub-region. Among the clearest signs of this impact is the steady decline in bee populations. Bees are vital pollinators\u2014over 90% of flowering plants rely on them to reproduce. Without bees, crop yields fall, ecosystems weaken, and food insecurity rises. In Teso, bee decline is driven by a combination of factors, according to the Ngora District Entomology Office the most significant causes are: landscape degradation (37%), pesticide use (33.3%), limited knowledge (13%), theft (9.3%), and limited capital (3.7%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These interrelated problems have led to reduced pollination, declining harvests, and lost income from honey and other bee products\u2014exacerbating poverty, malnutrition, and environmental instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Grassroots Response: Women at the Frontlines of Restoration<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To reverse these trends, Ann Grace Akiteng, a Local Innovators Program participant and Community weaver,<\/em>is leading a women-centered initiative that integrates beekeeping, forest restoration, and community enterprise. The project centers around a skilling and processing hub, where women beekeepers receive training and tools to sustainably manage hives, process honey and wax, and access markets. The project also includes the training of local apiary guides to provide extension services and support new adopters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ann
Ann Grace Akiteng leading forest and livelihood project.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 2017, Ann Grace and her team launched the Atigo Forest Reserve Restoration Initiative (AFRRI), a Collaborative Forest Management Association now composed of 17 tree grower groups with 530 community members. Under government allocation, they manage 47 hectares within Atigo Central Forest Reserve (938 ha total) and 14 hectares in Angutawele Central Forest Reserve (280 ha).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, the groups have established:<\/p>\n\n\n\n