The Grand African Green Up
The Grand African Green Up tells the story of people across Africa that are restoring their landscapes, from the dry forests of Senegal to the green hills of Kenya.
They are all part of Africa’s most ambitious environmental initiative: the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100). Together, local communities, governments, and private investors are uniting to restore 100 million hectares of land, an area of land nearly the size of Ethiopia, by 2030.
Why are they investing their time – and hope? They know that to grow more food, fight climate change, combat rural poverty, and empower youth leaders they need to build an African-led movement to revitalize land and rural economies.
AFR100 Presents: The Grand African Green Up matches inspiring images from African countries’ most beautiful landscapes with the perspectives and wisdom of people working every day in the communities that they call home.
Africa’s Restoration Champions
Wanjira Mathai – The Trailblazer
Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize for protecting and restoring Kenya’s forests. As the World Resources Institute’s vice president and regional director for Africa, her daughter Wanjira is continuing her mother’s work. Wanjira is the documentary’s narrator.
Elizabeth Wathuti – The Activist
Africa’s climate movement is nothing without its young people. Elizabeth has worked with schools to grow thousands of trees across Kenya and has worked to protect green spaces in Nairobi. She is the head of campaigns at the Wangari Maathai Foundation.
Sadik ibn Abdulai – The Entrepreneur
Dozens of entrepreneurs are restoring land across Africa’s landscapes – and creating jobs. In dry Northern Ghana, Sadik’s company Tilaa works with local women to grow cashews and produce honey for the market.
Rocky Dawuni – The Musician
Music moves people to action. An afro roots and reggae musician, Rocky is a long-time advocate for people restoring landscapes as part of the Global Landscapes Forum. In his home country of Ghana, he’s working to inspire a whole movement.
5 Landscapes People In Africa Are Restoring
2021 marks the first year of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a coalition of governments, grassroots organizations, scientists, and businesses. AFR100 is helping achieve the Decade’s goals by restoring many types of landscapes, including:
Farms
Farmers are the backbone of rural landscapes across Africa, but many struggle to grow enough food on degraded land. Learn how some of them are regreening their land to help their communities produce and prosper.
Forests
Africa’s forests provide food and wood for millions of people. They also keep the rain steady, capture planet-warming carbon, and are home to rare biodiversity. In Ethiopia, forests are a major economic opportunity.
Grasslands
Restoring land is about more than planting trees. Ancient grasslands and savannas are home to millions of herding communities, along with unique wildlife. Here is one way people and nature are helping each other thrive.
Mangroves
These ecosystems are of both the ocean and the land. They protect households from coastal flooding, provide economic opportunity for fishing communities, and store carbon. That is why people across Africa are investing in their restoration.
Peatlands and Wetlands
These murky bogs and marshes store an incredible amount of carbon dioxide. In Africa, scientists have just begun to study what many believe is the world’s largest peatland, and they are working with communities in the Congo Basin to protect it.
More Restoration Projects
Feeling inspired? Discover a selection of the dozens of projects people are leading across the AFR100 network.
How You Can Help
Fund Africa’s Restoration Movement
Hundreds of organizations are restoring land throughout Africa. But they need funding to grow more trees and restore more land. It’s a sound investment. Every $1 invested in restoring land can create up to $30 in economic benefits for local communities.
Donating to this fund helps project leaders give local grassroots organizations the resources that they need to help communities and the environment thrive. All of the funds that you donate go directly to AFR100 projects.
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The Team
AFR100 Presents: The Grand African Green-Up is a collaboration between the AFR100 Secretariat at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and JustDiggit, with support from World Resources Institute. Funding was graciously provided by The Good Energies Foundation.
Credits
Director and Writer: Safi Graauw
Producer: Michelle van Huisstede
Executive Producers: Wessel van Eeden and Nadia de Waal
Interview & Camera: Joost Bastmeijer
Editor: Nonye Onwuka
Colorist: Roman Strijbos – Het Kleurokaal
Voiceover: Wanjira Mathai
Music Composers: Joshua Petit and Mari Koning
Additional Vocals: Mame N’Diack Seck Thiam
Guide Voiceover: Sydney Lowell
Audio Postproduction: Soundsright Studios
Voice Narration Recording: What’s Good Studios
Contact
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