In the picturesque landscapes of Rwanda’s Western Province, Rutsiro and Ngororero Districts, a pressing issue looms large — land and forest degradation. Fuelled by population pressures and unsustainable farming, these regions grapple with tree cutting, soil erosion, and landslides, exacerbated by the spectre of climate change. However, in response to this environmental crisis, the MuLaKiLa Project has emerged as a light of hope. Officially launched on March 23, 2023, the MuLaKiLa Project is a collaborative effort led by ARCOS, Reforest’ Action, the Government of Rwanda, and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. With a mission to enhance community resilience to climate change and combat land and forest degradation, this initiative is poised to make a lasting impact. The involvement of our global partners ensures that MuLaKiLa is a testament to collaborative action, notes Dr Sam Kanyamibwa, ARCOS Founder & CEO. With a conviction that diverse expertise and collaborative spirit are paramount to achieving shared objectives, the project becomes a symphony of global partners harmonising towards a common goal. Fast forward eight months from its inauguration, on November 24, the MuLaKiLa project entered a critical moment of tree planting campaign as part of its 30-year initiative aiming to restore ecological functionality and engage 40,000 smallholder farmers’ households. The first year is being marked by planting 901,000 trees as agroforestry and woodlots including indigenous and exotic plant species. The MuLaKiLa Project's objective is to enhance community resilience to climate change and halt the relentless degradation of arable land and forests. This endeavour is not merely about planting trees; it's a holistic strategy encompassing Sustainable Agriculture Land Management (SALM) practices, agroforestry, and anti-erosion measures like terraces. Our land is our life, and seeing it degrade (with landslides, infertility, and soil erosion becoming common) was disheartening. Now, with MuLaKiLa, we are part of the solution. We plant trees, we build terraces, execute sustainable agriculture practices – we are hopeful for a better future, testified Seraphine Gatokarakura, a MuLaKiLa project beneficiary. At the heart of this project are the voices of our communities, emphasises Kanyamibwa. We believe in a participatory approach, where the very people affected by environmental challenges actively contribute to the solutions. MuLaKiLa is not just a local initiative; it is the pilot project of a Transboundary Regional Living Lab, inaugurated by His Majesty King Charles III during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali in June last year. The project aligns seamlessly with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance's mission to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy that is climate-neutral and prospers in harmony with nature. In the Western Province's unfolding landscape, MuLaKiLa is not just a project — it's a symphony, a harmonious melody of hope, resilience, and collaborative action, echoing through the hills and valleys of Rwanda.
