Vettes Kalema is fascinated by forests, and is dedicated to helping rural women who live off this natural resource. She is equally committed to preserving Uganda’s fragile woodlands, which are rapidly being depleted at a rate of up to 600 square kilometers per year. “Women depend on woodlands for everything: food, firewood, and medicine. I want to find new ways to support households while relieving the pressure on the forests, giving them time to regenerate,” says Kalema. Woodlands and savanna forests provide up to 90 percent of Uganda’s energy requirements, but this is not sustainable if they are not managed properly.