A farmer in Fossimondi has made an impression worth emulating in the tree planting process. Mr. Nkemondeh Thomas who was present at the sensitization phase of the tree planting project in Fossimondi, immediately developed interest and was one of the first to have started the implementation of this project in his community.

Fossimondi it would be recalled is one of the villages in the Lebialem highlands where ERuDeF is carrying out a Forest and Landscape Restoration project. With just 12months down the lane, some major achievements are already visible.

Mr. Nkemondeh established a multipurpose tree nursery with agro forestry species (Acacia angustissima, Leucaena leucocephylla), Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) (Kola accuminata) and Medicinal species (Prunus africana, Moringa oleifera). All these species germinated and developed in the nursery except for Moringa oleifera which had a poor germination rate.

With the agro forestry species, Nkemondeh established an alley cropping farm of about half a hectare (5000 m2 ) and planted trees in two rows with 5m distance between these rows. He planted 2000 trees in the alley cropping farm in June 2012. This was immediately followed by a transplantation of about 200 kola and 200 Prunus seedlings in his farm.

Mr. Nkemondeh looks forward to selling the kola fruits and the bark of Prunus in the future to raise his income his productivity will gradually increase in his alley cropping farm. Presently, Nkemondeh acts as the contact person for ERuDeF in Fossimondi community.