Half-moon Bunds, Kisiki Hai

KISIKI HAI AND RAINWATER HARVESTING PROJECT IN IRINGA

Summary

The project is being implemented in the MBOMIPA WMA villages surrounding Ruaha National Park in Iringa, Tanzania. It integrates sustainable approaches such as Half Moon Bunds and Kisiki Hai restoration to restore degraded land, enhance soil fertility, and improve water retention.

In partnership with the NAWIRI Foundation, the initiative supports local farmers and aims to dig 6,000 Half Moon Bunds and regenerate 66,000 tree stumps by 2026. Through training sessions, workshops, and a community movie roadshow, the project is building momentum, inspiring participation, and driving meaningful change across the communities.

Duration and Status

Five years from 2024 to 2026
The project is successfully ongoing.

Achievements by 2026

19+ Institutions trained
60 Champion farmers trained
1,065+ Households trained
6,000+ Bunds dug
19,961+ FMNR Trees restored

Partners

This program is being implemented in partnership with Nawiri Group.

Hear it from the community

Jacob Wilson - Farmer

In October 2021, I learned Kisiki Hai from LEAD Foundation. I set aside three acres of dry land and completely bare, for tree sprouts, pruning and protecting them. Today, my woodlot is alive again, restoring soil, bringing back biodiversity, providing fuelwood and fodder, and inspiring my whole community.

Eyeyoo Kapurwa - Pastoralist

I’m Eyeyoo Kpurwa from Esilalei, Arusha. Since I was a boy in 1984, our communal land was bare with no grass but through half-moon bunds, everything changed. Today the pastures are green again, indigenous plants have returned, biodiversity has grown, and our village is proud of the communal land we restored together.

Pilly Hamis - Farmer

In Matare village, Singida, I’m seeing how agroforestry is changing my farm and my life. With over 200 Kisiki Hai trees growing alongside my crops, my soil is healthier, the farm is cooler, and my harvests are better. This is the future of farming for me; sustainable, resilient, and rooted in the land.

Related Projects

Together, we can restore nature

FAQ

Our flagship method, Kisiki Hai, has grown so well-known across Tanzania that in many villages people know us by that name before they know the name LEAD Foundation. We are very proud with that, It means the method has outgrown us and become the community’s own!

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