From insurgency to opportunity: how reforestation is building a better life in Alebelebe

Before the guns came, Alebelebe Village was alive with trees, rain, and abundance. What happened next, and how this community found its way back, is a story you won't soon forget. In this episode, we take you to Alebelebe Village in the Lira District of Uganda, where the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency forced families from their homes and shattered the rhythms of life they had always known. When residents finally returned, they found their land damaged and their livelihoods gone. Desperate to survive, many turned to cutting down trees to produce charcoal, which was a decision that deepened the crisis, stripped the land bare, and drove away the rain. Through the voices of community members like Richard Owanya and Florence Achan, we hear how training from Kijani Forestry and Farm Radio International introduced Nature-based Solutions that began to turn things around. From reforestation to beekeeping, the community discovered that restoring the environment and restoring their lives were one and the same. This episode is hosted by Ivy Prosper, produced by Doreen Ainembabazi, and edited by John McGill. This episode was produced by Farm Radio International, thanks to funding from the Government of Canada. More about Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing Planet at farmradio.org/natureanswersThis is a Farm Radio International podcast produced thanks to funding from the Government of Canada.