Include2Restore

How can we create sustainable rangelands and promote equality in East Africa?

Life is tough in the drylands of East Africa. The climate is harsh, resources are scarce, and conflicts over water and land have long been part of everyday life. On top of that, there are major inequalities between men’s and women’s opportunities. To turn this situation around, we need both new ideas and new ways of working together.

This is where the Include2Restore project comes in. The project focuses on the Karamoja border region between Kenya and Uganda. Here, researchers and local communities are working together to find better ways to care for the land, water, and livestock—in ways that benefit both people and the environment.

The work involves four different landscapes. Two of them are semi-arid and home to communities who both farm and raise livestock. The other two are more arid and inhabited by people who rely primarily on livestock herding.

A key part of the project is to create meeting places, known as “livestock cafés,” where people can share knowledge with each other. These cafés also serve as testing grounds for new methods to improve rangelands and provide better fodder for livestock. Research shows that restoring degraded land is possible—but how can it be done in ways that also improve livelihoods, promote gender equality, and secure long-term sustainability for everyone? That’s what Include2Restore is aiming to find out.

The project works hand in hand with local communities, with a special focus on strengthening women’s participation and rights. Through interviews, group discussions, surveys, and participant observations, the project will explore which solutions work best—for both nature and the people who depend on it.

Include2Restore is part of a larger initiative called RECAF, which focuses on developing new climate-smart livestock technologies and business models. The goal is to help smallholder farmers in Africa’s climate hotspots increase production while reducing emissions. Behind RECAF are organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and IDRC.