*Walnut Trees - Ensure a Healthy and Prosperous Rural Community in Moldova!

In Balti, Moldova, people will plant over 500 walnut trees in target villages to promote health, soil erosion, and jobs. Walnut trees were chosen for the iodine which increases health in this region affected by the Chernobyl explosion.

Our aim is to provide the current and future generations of 3 villages in the North of Moldova which have very fertile soils, with a sustainable solution for their health, the stability of their environment and a financial security by planting and teaching rural youth about the importance and possibilities offered by the Walnut tree. We intend to mobilize more than 60 young people from 3 different villages in planting more than 500 walnut trees in the target villages in order to mitigate a few risks affecting rural communities: increase the level of immunity of people by stimulating consumption of walnuts which contain iodine which is quite a deficit in this area after the Chernobyl explosion; prevent soil erosion by planting walnut trees on accidental fields; Ensure cleaner air for more than 10.000 inhabitants of the targeted villages; ensure a higher and stable income for members of selected communities by collecting and selling the walnuts;

This project will teach more than 10.000 inhabitants of 3 different villages in the north of Moldova about how they could earn a sustainable living by cultivating walnuts, which prevents soil erosion which permits practicing a healthy agriculture; is a major source of iodine which is a huge deficit in the region which negatively affects people’s immune system; may serve as a source of income for socially vulnerable people; is a source of wood for industry and heating, etc. It is just important to increase people’s awareness about these benefits and teach them how to effectively take advantage of them, besides effectively planting the walnut trees and taking care of them.

More than 500 walnut trees will be planted in 3 selected communities by the end of October 2010.