How one community turned drylands into a living model of regeneration.
Published: November, 2025
By: Mother Trees, John Leary
A Beacon of Restoration and Resilience
The town of Kaffrine, Senegal has been officially recognized by the United Nations Task Force on Ecosystem Restoration as a Champion Community under Initiative 3 of the Capacity, Knowledge and Learning Action Plan (CKLAP) for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
This recognition honors the farmers, families, and local leaders of Kaffrine who have transformed one of Senegal’s most degraded regions into a thriving hub of restoration—proving that restoring ecosystems can also restore livelihoods.
“Your recognition as a Champion Community in restoration-related income generation reflects an inspiring commitment to ecosystem restoration and sustainable livelihoods.”
— UN Task Force on Best Practices, Subgroup on Initiative 3
Setting the Global Standard in Restoration
Kaffrine’s initiative met all 10 UN criteria for a “good restoration practice” and is now featured on the UN Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring (FERM) platform. This distinction gives the community’s achievements global visibility and ensures their methods inspire and inform other regions across the world.
Five Champions Leading the Way
Kaffrine’s success story is rooted in its people. The UN Task Force recognized five individuals for their long-term leadership and community impact:
Omar Ndao, Mother Trees Senegal Program Director: For 25 years, he has helped plant tens of millions of trees, inspiring generations to adopt agroforestry.
Mrs. Fili Traore, President, Women’s Forestry Association: Mobilizing women in the reforestation of multiple forests in Kaffrine and overseeing nurseries producing tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of seedlings each year.
Mrs. Aminta Sall, President, And Sokoleko Women’s Village Savings Group: Leading a savings-and-loan system that empowers women to generate income from forest products.
Mrs. Diabou Seck, President, Ndankou Forest Management Committee: Advancing community-based forestry management that sustains both biodiversity and local livelihoods.\
Mr. Baay Dame Cisse, Vice President, Teranga Saloum Cooperative: Championing farmer solidarity, sustainable agriculture, and cooperative development across Kaffrine.
Global Partnerships Powering Local Impact
Two major partners: the Tony Robbins Foundation and tentree played a vital role in funding tree planting, community training, and agroforestry adoption. Their support has enabled thousands of families to cultivate prosperity while restoring degraded lands and fighting hunger. Beginning in 2016, Tony and Sage Robbins began planting trees in Kaffrine and have planted over 71 million trees on their road to 100 million, many of which were planted throughout Kaffrine. tentree is a sustainable apparel company that plants ten trees for every item sold. Tentree has supported the planting of millions of trees in Kaffrine and continues to do so through their technology platform veritree which verifies and tracks these tree-planting projects using blockchain and ground-level data.
“When I was eleven, a stranger fed my family, it made me believe strangers care. That act sparked a journey that has now provided over a billion meals and a mission to help plant 100 million trees. I’m proud to have supported the planting of millions of those trees in Kaffrine, where extraordinary champions have taken that momentum and built thriving, regenerative communities. Through their leadership in agroforestry and savings clubs, they’ve turned fragile harvests into sustainable prosperity, renewing both the land and the economy.”
-Tony Robbins, world’s #1 life and business strategist, philanthropist, and New York Times #1 best-selling author
Mother Trees: Sharing Lessons Beyond Senegal
Behind Kaffrine’s transformation, Mother Trees has developed the LifeTree System, a holistic model combining tree planting, soil restoration, water harvesting, biodiversity protection, and village savings clubs into one powerful framework.
Through its Village Savings Club Manual, featured on the UN’s FERM platform, Mother Trees is helping communities worldwide replicate this success and fund their own restoration efforts.
Framework For Ecosystem Restoration
“This recognition is not just for Kaffrine—it is for every community proving that restoration brings both life and livelihood,” says John Leary, Founder & CEO of Mother Trees.
“In Kaffrine, where many of the 71 million trees I’ve supported were planted, the agroforestry ends hunger, turning dry soil into food-producing forests and restoring hope for families. I want to personally congratulate the incredible champions of Kaffrine, true Mother Trees on the landscape, who are helping re-green their communities and nurture the lives around them. Their leadership shows the world what restoration looks like when compassion takes root.”
-Tony Robbins, world’s #1 life and business strategist, philanthropist, and New York Times #1 best-selling author
Today, as regions such as Gaza and Sudan face ecological and humanitarian crises, Mother Trees aims to share Africa’s community-led resilience model globally, empowering vulnerable populations with tools for regeneration and dignity.
Join us for the Global Knowledge Exchange
Event: Best Practices Knowledge Exchange LIVE WEBINAR
Date: December 11, 2025 | 14:00 CET (8:00 a.m. ET)
Hosted by: Mother Trees, Kaffrine Community, and the UN Task Force on Best Practices
Connect with practitioners, donors, and changemakers advancing restoration through savings clubs, agroforestry, and local innovation.
About Mother Trees
Mother Trees is restoring ecosystems and regenerating rural economies through agroforestry. Its flagship LifeTree System empowers farmers to end hunger, restore fertility, and build sustainable livelihoods, all while combating climate change.
RESTORE LIFE. SPARK PROSPERITY. FORGE LEGACIES.
