Happy Earth Day from TIST!
Over the past 20+ years, the TIST Programme has spread by word of mouth across Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and India because the TIST Farmers believe in the power of working together planting trees, improving their farms, and sharing the big results they create.
Carbon credits are intangible, but TIST Farmers create visible solutions, helping make the world a better place for their communities and future generations. Results include more food for the family, improved stoves, money for school fees, and of course, lots of trees for shade, firewood, and fodder.
TIST Farmers encourage us to be agents of change to protect our planet for future generations.
Expanding TIST in Tanzania
The history of the TIST Program begins in 1999 with 77 subsistence farmers in Tanzania organizing themselves to tackle the challenges they faced every day: poverty, deforestation, and food scarcity. TIST Leadership undertook three pilot projects in 2020 to reintroduce TIST in western, central, and eastern Tanzania and have reconnected with existing Small Groups in western and central Tanzania that have continued to follow the TIST Values and improve their farms and communities. They are also doing a virtual expansion in eastern Tanzania using only digital tools such as Zoom, TIST Learning Center, videos, and WhatsApp. You can follow along in the TIST Learning Center
TIST Cluster Servant Spotlight: Alice Kambura
Over the past 15 years as a TIST Farmer, Alice Kambura has developed valuable leadership skills that she shares with her community. Alice joined TIST in Kenya after receiving training and hearing about the many program benefits, particularly how tree planting, Conservation Farming, and improved cookstoves can help families, communities, and the environment. Today, Alice is a Cluster Servant responsible for training and serving other farmers. One of the most important Best Practices for Alice has been Rotating Leadership, where many men and women have the opportunity to take turns leading and educating new farmers. She often trains TIST Farmers on Conservation Farming; a method Alice uses on her farm to grow maize. Tree planting is Alice's favorite thing about the TIST Program. She would like for more people to know about the benefits of planting more trees, maintaining the trees, and producing carbon credits. Alice considers her training and quantification skills to be her biggest achievements. “TIST changed the standard of living,” both her own and that of the community she shares her successes with.
Measuring TIST Farmers' Impact on UN SDGs
TIST are implementing a survey tool to measure the impacts TIST Farmers have on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus far, over 840 surveys have been completed!
TIST Farmers generate substantial benefits by participating in the TIST Program. These benefits have already been recognized by the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS) when the TIST Program was awarded Triple Gold certification for exceptional climate, community, and biodiversity benefits.
This new survey will collect even more information about the Program's benefits through interviews with the TIST Farmers. It will also help us learn about areas where we can better serve the farmers.