In one day, 2,582 seedlings were planted, achieving 10% of our target to plant 20,000 trees in this year! On August 9, 2023, as we celebrated the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, 60 groups/ organizations joined us in simultaneous tree-growing activities. Our collaborative effort to nurture back forest areas is spreading! We started with around seven partner communities in Northern Mindanao in year 2020 (at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic). For the August 9 simultaneous tree-growing, 13 more partner communities joined us and contributed their efforts to be counted as part of the 20@20 campaign. Tree-growing took place in Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Davao Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Cagayan de Oro, and Culion in Palawan in the Philippines. In addition to these areas, the Indigenous youth in Papua and South Papua provinces, Indonesia are joining this effort to grow 20,000 trees and more.  Almost half of the groups who joined, (29 groups/ organizations) participated from Indonesia. Komunitas Tuli Sorong (Sorong Deaf Community) was one of the active groups during this event. The participants reported planting fruit trees such as rambutan, longan; moringa; and hardwood species such as molave, lawaan (meranti), and narra; and mangrove trees by Calamian Tagbanwa partners in Palawan, and fisherfolk in Lanao del Norte. 

The 20@20 tree growing is an ongoing conservation and fundraising campaign facilitated by Samdhana Institute, to support primarily indigenous communities that are working to restore and protect their forest areas. Since we began the tree-growing fundraising campaign in late 2021, we have worked with Indigenous youth groups who have led the establishment of their community tree nurseries, through collection of wildlings and seeds, and exchanges of seedlings with other IP communities. In the pilot Higaonon tribe community of Awang in Opol, Misamis Oriental, within the Dulangan Unified Ancestral Domain, since 2020, we have planted around 6,000 seedlings and counting, through the hard work of the tribal community leader, youth and women; alongside volunteers from faith-based, academe and civic organizations, and Samdhana team and family members.

Our heartfelt thanks to the tree-growing partners:

Indonesia

• Noken Mamta
• MAPALA USTJ
• Jayapura Deaf Community
• Youth Hena
• Youth Yotoro
• PAM Imanuel Ifar Gunung
• SILVA
• GAP
• Rindan Ifar Gunung
• GAPAI Papua
• Students of Biology Faculty – Cenderawasih University
• Pertamina Foundations
• Taman Baca Efata
• Earth Hour
• KOMPIPA community
• Youth of Sorpus
• Taman Faith’s participants
• Nokeners of Domberai Sorong
• Komunitas Tuli Sorong / Sorong Deaf Community
• Sorong Neighborhood residents 
• Youth of Sire Village
• Papua Paradise Center
• Sekolah Alam Paradise
• Nokeners of Animha
• Youth of GPI Syalom Merauke
• Malind Imoh IP group
• GMKI Merauke (Gerakan Mahasiswa Kristen Indonesia)
• Women/Mamas of Papamarba (Pengrajin Atribut Budaya Mappi)
• Women/Mamas of Perajut (Knitter) “Katin Sai”

Philippines 

• Serukadang Manobo Tribal Organisation (SMTO)
• NMTU
• NMMTS
• Unified Kiriteken Ilantungen Tribal Council (UKIMTRICO)
• NMKI
• Basak Masayon Farmers Irrigators Association
• Awang BLGU
• Panaghiusa sa mga HIgaonon sa Awang (PAHINA)
• Kababayen-an sa Panlablaba (KASAP)
• Panlablaba Youth Organization (PAYO)
• Nangcaon Higaonon Youth Organization (NAHIYO)MMO
• Dulangan Youth Group (DUYOG)
• PAGBATI
• Our Mother of Perpetual Help (OMPH)
• Society of St. Columban
• Columban Lay Missionaries
• ICON-SP
• NABIMINA
• CMEM
• UBJP
• La Bugal
• CALM Ancestral Domain IPS
• CALM AD Women Group
• CALM AD Youth Group
• SINLA
• Barangay Tumpagon Tribal Council
• Sanggunian Kabataan
• Subang Foundation
• HEED (Human Economic and Ecological Development INC.)
• Panaghiusa alang sa Kaugalingnon ug Kalingkawasan Inc. (PASAKK)
• Lanao Aquatic and Marine   Fisheries isheries Center For Community Development, Inc. (LAFCCOD)

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