From insurgency to opportunity: how reforestation is building a better life in Alebelebe

Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing Planet · May 14, 2026 · 11m

Before the guns came, Alebelebe Village was alive with trees, rain, and abundance. What happened next, and how this community found its way back, is a story you won't soon forget.

In this episode, we take you to Alebelebe Village in the Lira District of Uganda, where the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency forced families from their homes and shattered the rhythms of life they had always known. When residents finally returned, they found their land damaged and their livelihoods gone. Desperate to survive, many turned to cutting down trees to produce charcoal, which was a decision that deepened…