What We Do
By the Okavango River in northern Namibia,
we’re regenerating a 38-hectare property.
THE GOAL? Providing affordable, high-quality, organic food to the country, in a way that regenerates the Earth by allowing natural ecosystems to flourish. THE BIGGER GOAL? Building a Training Centre, sharing the sustainable practice as a way of creating food security all year round.
We’re planting trees for the planet,
the people, the future.
Rebuilding ecosystems to establish regenerative solutions for all.
We all know by now that the Earth is suffering. We need to find practical, long-term solutions that enable both humans and nature to thrive.
When you plant trees, you plant the future.
why?
1.the planet
Modern Agricultural practices are a leading cause in the devastation. Forests are being ripped down, soils are being stripped of life, living creatures are exterminated, and chemicals cover the food we consume. We’ve started to view ourselves as separate from nature, and that needs to change.
T H E S O L U T I O N : Agroforestry restores natural cycles, utilies animals ethically, and creates whole new ecosystems. High volumes of food, medicine and resources can be produced with minimal water and maintenance. Not only do humans thrive; this allows nature to thrive too.
2.the people
Access to real, quality food is essential. In Namibia, over 70% of food is imported. This creates high prices, poor economy, and large scale poverty. Locals grow their own grain instead, having porridge as 80% of their diet. They rely solely on the 3-month rains, creating a lack of food security, periods of hunger, and minimal nutritional food diversity.
T H E S O L U T I O N : We’re putting food security back into the hands of the people. Our courses will teach and provide plant material for locals to grow their own small-scale Agroforest in their homesteads. They have water, sun, and space - now all they need is the knowledge to ensure food security all year round.
3.the future
The reality is that not enough people are thinking long-term. With the current way of growing food, not much will be left for the next generations. Trees are culled, soils are depleted, natural life is expelled and disregarded. But agriculture is not only a production unit, it is a habitat, the whole needs to kept in mind to keep it healthy and sustainable.
T H E S O L U T I O N : Agroforestry is as much for the future as it is for the now. It’s climate positive. When you plant trees, you plant the future. These systems are not only fruit trees and vegetable crops, but they also incorporate medicinal plants and hardwood trees that will benefit the next generations for decades to come.
Read more about our solution here.
who we are
the faces behind aywa
In 2022, we moved onto an abandoned piece of land by the Okavango River, building this project from the ground up.
Hanjo is Namibian born and raised, whilst Loree is half British, half Italian, living in Namibia for the past 3 years.
After traveling the world and working in various agriculture jobs, we saw the shocking reality of food production in the world today. So… we started looking for solutions.
We believe that being self-sustainable is one of the greatest ways we can empower ourselves and the planet.
Thank you for being here!
None of this would be possible without the Kavango people welcoming and working with us, enabling this dream to become a reality that benefits us all.