Kabakila Pierre Pasuanzambi | July 17, 2025
News Brief
Under the scorching Kananga sun, Hélène Tshibola works her once-barren two-hectare peanut field—now thriving thanks to acacia trees. Inspired by her late husband’s environmental knowledge, Ms. Tshibola planted 400 trees per hectare to combat erosion and enrich the soil. Her peanut yields have soared, earning her 1.5 million Congolese francs ($526 USD) annually. Her success has sparked a local movement, with other women adopting the method and seeing similar gains. Experts confirm the acacia’s ecological benefits, and around Kananga, greenbelts are taking root—proving that resilience, shared knowledge, and nature can transform lives and landscapes.
It’s 10 a.m., and under the already scorching sun of Kananga, in the heart of Kasaï-Central, a woman in her sixties is hard at work on her farm. Hélène Tshibola, a mother of six, is busy in her peanut field—a once barren two-hectare plot that she has transformed by planting acacia trees to fight erosion and restore soil fertility.
Ms. Tshibola says, “The soil here isn’t fertile. But thanks to planting trees, I’ve increased my productivity.”
Because her field is located near the urban centre of Kananga, plastic and industrial waste had severely degraded the soil. In 2015, Ms. Tshibola began planting acacia trees—a soil restoration technique she learned from her late husband, an environmental expert. Years later, her once-barren land has become a testament to women’s resilience and ingenuity, with the unassuming acacia tree as its quiet hero. She explains, “My husband used to say that acacias could ‘heal’ our land. I hoped his idea would help us survive.”
Not long ago, Ms. Tshibola’s field was dry, ravaged by erosion, and unproductive. Rainfall washed away the topsoil, leaving the land infertile like many plots around Kananga.
Ms. Tshibola raised seedlings in nurseries, planted them carefully, and protected them from animals. She planted about 400 acacia trees per hectare, spacing them five metres apart. These trees have now grown into a natural barrier against erosion and help retain soil moisture. Their fallen leaves decompose and enrich the soil, boosting the yield of crops like peanuts.
Today, the results are clear. Ms. Tshibola says, “My peanut harvests have increased incredibly!” With improved yields, she now earns 1,500,000 Congolese francs (about $526 USD) annually. This income has allowed her to send her children to school and improve her household’s living conditions.
Her success has inspired neighbouring women farmers. She shares, “I pass on everything I learned from my husband. We exchange seeds and techniques.”
Her approach has sparked a local movement. One neighbour, Carine Nzambi, in her forties, reports that planting acacias on her one-hectare plot increased her income from 356,250 FC ($125 USD) to 855,000 FC ($300 USD). She says, “Ms. Tshibola didn’t just show us a method—she restored our confidence.”
André Kanku, an ecology expert at the Pedagogical University of Kananga, confirms the science behind this success. He explains that acacia trees are excellent pioneer plants: their deep roots stabilize the soil, prevent erosion, fix nitrogen, and store carbon. They also attract pollinators and microfauna, boosting biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
Today, many women around Kananga are planting acacias. This has improved both soil quality and livelihoods, while also creating a greenbelt around the city—improving air quality, regulating the climate, and fostering biodiversity.
Once seen as barren, Ms. Tshibola’s field is now a model of productivity and sustainability. Her message to fellow women farmers is a call to action and hope: “Believe in your strength—and in the power of nature.”
