In Tigray’s highlands, desertification advances relentlessly. This year, the Desa’a team and 9,000 households are pushing back: restoring 2,800 hectares with millions of native trees to revive nature, livelihoods, and hope.

Walking through Desa’a Forest, centuries-old junipers and fossils tell a story of survival, geology, and culture. Since 2016, restoration efforts are bringing this fragile ecosystem, and its communities back to life.

Meet Almaz Meles