PLEXII

My name is Abdul Rahuman, a 27-year-old resident of Waka, Itula Parish, in Obongi District. I am an orphan and married.  For seven years, charcoal production was my primary source of livelihood; it was accessible and had a ready market, so I did not fully grasp the damage I was causing to our environment. Reflecting on those years, I remember the physical toll: "When I cut trees for charcoal, my hand would pain, the work is too much, and yet the earnings are little."

I grew up in Loroo Sub-county, Amudat District. As a child, the land was green and welcoming. The hills were covered with thick forests of Epera and Warburgia trees. The trees were not just wood. They were our pharmacy, our shade, our water towers. My grandmother would point to the tall Epera trees and say, “When these trees stand, rain will find us.” Rivers like Nakapelimoru flowed even in dry months.