Two years ago, forest farmer Liberata Mukagasagure and her colleagues accepted to have their old forests removed. The government gave them new seedlings in a national campaign to rehabilitate old forests.
Mukagasagure, 62, who has about two hectares of forest in Byimana Village, Sasabirago Cell in Fumbwe Sector in Rwamagana District, is among the first beneficiaries of the programme known as Private Forest Management Units (PFMUs).
Last week, the Rwanda Forestry Authority (RFA) handed over 284 hectares of rehabilitated forests to residents of the sectors of Karenge and Gahengeri in Rwamagana District, making a total of 870 hectares handed back to the owners.
The project is in its second year of implementation in four districts of Gicumbi, Gakenke and Rulindo in Northern Province, and Rwamagana in Eastern Province.
It aims at revamping the production and management of privately owned forests, which account for about 70 per cent of Rwanda's forests.
It is being implemented in partnership with Forests Management and Biomass Energy (FMBE), a Belgian funded project.
Although she has not harvested yet, Mukagasagure foresees better production in the next five years.
"We would only cut the trees, whether mature or not, and that was not productive that much," she said. "When you remember the forests we had here before, you can clearly see that the ones we have today will be more productive. Although we have not harvested yet, better things lie ahead."
When people are united, they achieve something big, Mukagasagure reminded.
Innocent Rukengeri, a resident of Nyamatete, Karenge Sector, said, "These woodlots were more than 40 years old."
Rukengeri, who received their rehabilitated forests on Thursday, said they knew that their forests needed rehabilitation, but they did not have capacity to do it.
Their cooperative in Nyamatete has 95 members, including 18 females.
"This is not somebody's forest as such, it is somebody's forest that will have a positive impact on the world and our country Rwanda," Rukengeri explained, adding that this is a result of "good" leadership of the country.
Eugene Sengabo, president of Twitekubidukikije Gahengeri, said, "This programme was needed, we pledge to maintain the continuity of the achievements for our development."
Sengabo's cooperative is made of 133 members growing forests on 31 hectares in Kibare site in Gahengeri Sector, Rwamagana.
Vincent Nsabuwera, FMBE project director said the idea of putting forest owners in cooperatives after it was identified that privately-owned forests were not well managed due to fuel demand.
Nsabuwera said there are many opportunities in forestry, but it is possible when people are united in order to be able to do professional beekeeping or negotiate with investors.
"We normally import wood for electricity pylons, but there are companies ready to use forests," he said.
Rwamagana District Mayor Radjab Mbonyumuvunyi, said anything is achievable with the forest owners' commitment and unity.
"Success like this does not come by accident, nor does it come down here as mane either, it is but done by people," the mayor noted.
Dismas Bakundukize, the Director of Forest Management Unit in Rwanda Forestry Authority, said that Rwanda's forests are dominated by private (70 percent), yet they are mismanaged and do not provide adequate production.
In the meantime, since it is not possible to exploit the forests before they are mature enough, residents were urged to find other opportunities coming with forestry, including beekeeping.
"You are way stronger than anybody doing something like this alone. You can sit with confidence with an investor at a table and negotiate; you have a voice now," Bakundukize pointed out.