Strengthening Forest Communities in Abia State, Nigeria
The Environment and Social Change Foundation (ESCF) is a community-based organization working with smallholder farmers to address the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.
With this $15,000 grant, ESCF will provide capacity trainings for 40 smallholder farmers from Eluama-Lodu and Nkalunta communities in Abia State, Nigeria. These trainings will combine climate-smart agriculture with community-based forest conservation. Participants will learn practical, low-cost techniques such as mulching, crop rotation, organic composting, agroforestry, and cultivation of climate-resilient crops, alongside tree identification, reforestation methods, and responsible harvesting. Led by local experts, the training will be highly participatory, blending theoretical and hands-on field learning.
Profile
Grant:
2025: $15,000
Why ESCF?
This group was selected by our Nigeria partner, DEAN, who chose ESCF because they demonstrate a strong track record of empowering forest-dependent communities, especially women and other vulnerable groups. DEAN admired that ESCF uses tailored capacity-building trainings and community sensitization on integrating forest conservation with sustainable farming practices, directly supporting both environmental protection and livelihood resilience.
Photo courtesy of Environment and Social Change Foundation