Implementing Agency:
Department For International Development (PAND)

Managing Institute:
SOS Sahel International

Project Code: 060-680-002	Start Date: 20-Aug-87	End Date: Apr. 1, 1994
Commitment: £283,811	Status: Completed	Type of Funding: Bilateral - JFS

Project Background:
The VES is a community forestry project which aims to initiate tree-planting as a routine village and farming activity, through education, training and practical assistance. The long-term objective is to save an important food growing area in Northern Sudan from being swamped by desert.

Forestry Activities: The first year of the project - the pilot phase - came to an end at the beginning of October 1986. 15 villages have participated, four tree nurseries have been built and stocked with seedlings, a fifth is under construction. Two woodlots of 5 and 7 acres are being prepared to provide fuel-wood and timber for the associated villages. Total nursery capacity is 126,000 seedlings. In addition more than 1,000 women in different villages are raising seedlings in their homes. 53,000 seedlings have been raised to October. These figures give little impression of the project's unquantifiable achievements. Starting from scratch, the VES has created an entire tree-planting infrastructure in an agricultural area of 120 sq.km. with a population of at least 15,000. More importantly, it has attracted and sustained a high level of voluntary support, especially among women and school-children.

Project Objectives:
The project aims to establish forestry practices which will halt the encroachment of sand over villages and their arable land whilst providing crop protection and increasing crop yield. Phase II of the project is based in Shendi. This Phase emphasises the importance of contour ploughing, the role of properly constructed bunds and the stabilising effect of forest shelter belts and woodlots.

Intended Outputs:
Nurseries: Targets for nursery construction have been revised in the light of current demand for seedlings. There will be a reduction of the number of nurseries planned for Seyal from 6 to 5. The remaining villages will be offered extra forestry inputs by way of compensation. In Kaboushiya, full scale village nurseries will be confined to larger villages or groups of villages. Ways of providing smaller, low-cost nurseries or of increasing home seedling production should be sought for other villages.

Woodlots: In order to maximise the benefits of woodlots, it is recommended that they should cover a larger area than at present.

Women's Home Nurseries: All women extensionists need further training, and more women workers will have to be appointed. As the women committee members act as extension workers in their own communities, it is recommended that they be given more demonstrations and advice wherever possible. Also, as the committees are literate, simple tree-raising notes should be prepared and distributed.

Mobile Forstery Unit: Where the land is reasonably level, clearing, levelling and building irrigation channels is relatively easy and can be performed by voluntary labour, with the help o a village tractor. The MFU can provide a well and advice, but 'pit irrigation' would have to be practised - the watering of seedlings planted in individual micro-catchments.

Puppeteers: The puppet show should increase its work with schools, and encourage the formation of school forestry clubs.