Women lead forest restoration across guinea’s ‘water tower of west africa’ through indigenous seed collection

In Guinea’s Kérouané prefecture, women are playing a crucial role in one of West Africa’s most ambitious reforestation efforts, transforming both landscapes and livelihoods in the region that serves as the continent’s “water tower.” The area holds the source of the Niger River, which flows 2,600 miles across West Africa, making forest restoration here critical for regional water security.

Since 2021, the Swiss nonprofit arboRise Foundation, partnering with local organization GUIDRE (Guinea Local Development and Environment), has successfully reforested nearly 11,000 acres across 43 villages—an area roughly one-fourth the size of Washington, D.C. The project employs local women to collect seeds from 40 native tree species, with each participant gathering approximately 28,000 seeds that are then mixed and scattered directly onto degraded landscapes rather than planted in traditional nurseries.

For women like Mariame Condé, the work provides vital income during difficult times. When she was pregnant in 2022 and facing food shortages while her husband searched for gold in mining areas, Condé collected 20,000 Carapa procera tree seeds near her hometown of Kofilakoro. The project paid her about $115—money she used to buy food and clothing for her son. This innovative approach combines traditional ecological knowledge with modern conservation techniques, demonstrating how community-based environmental restoration can simultaneously address poverty, gender equity, and climate resilience in one of Africa’s most environmentally significant regions.