Frequently asked questions

Because what we plant is completely different. Most programmes plant 2-year-old seedlings that take another 5–7 years before a farmer sees any income from them. Our Rumi olive trees are 5–6 years old and 2–3 metres tall when they arrive at the farmer's land. They are already producing olives. The farmer's first harvest comes within months — not years. The €45 also covers everything: the tree itself bought from a local shop around Hebron, transport on our trucks, our team planting it together with the farmer on the same day, a photographer documenting every single tree, GPS registration, and certificate. Nothing is outsourced. Yahya buys the trees himself, loads the trucks himself, and plants them himself — together with his team and the farmer.

Primarily in Al-Majd and the surrounding villages near Hebron — the region Yahya grew up in. Also in Dura, Al-Bira, and other villages in the Hebron governorate. Every tree receives GPS coordinates on the day it is planted. You will receive a Google Maps link to your exact tree within 6 months of your purchase.

We plant Rumi olive trees — the most prized olive variety in the Hebron region. Rumi trees are known for their large fruit, their rich oil content, and their extraordinary resilience. They are the tree this land has grown for thousands of years. We buy them exclusively from local shops around Hebron, not from cheaper suppliers in the north, because supporting Palestinian businesses at every step is a decision we make deliberately.

Yahya and his team do. They are on the ground in Palestine, buying the trees, loading the trucks, driving to the land, and planting every tree together with the farmer. This is not managed from a European office and delegated to a partner organisation nobody has met. Yahya grew up in Al-Majd. These are his neighbours, his community, and in some cases his family. He plants the trees with his own hands.

A mature, already-fruiting Rumi olive tree on their own land — planted by our team on the day it arrives. The farmer does not need to buy it, transport it, or plant it. We do all of that. Their job is to tend a tree that is already alive and harvest it at the end of the year. If a farmer struggles with water access, we can also facilitate water pipes and irrigation. We are currently building a programme where farmers receive full irrigation infrastructure as part of the package.

Yes. Every single one. We have a local photographer on our team who documents every planted tree on planting day. These photos, along with videos from the field, are shared on our website and social media so you can see exactly where your trees went and who received them. For anyone who sponsors a full farm of 24 trees, we create a personalised video of the farmer, the land, and the planting day — including a short interview with the family.

Yes — and it is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give. During checkout you enter the recipient's name and their email address. They receive the certificate directly. The tree is planted in their name. A gift that lives for hundreds of years, in Palestinian soil, tended by a family that needed it. We have had people gift trees for birthdays, weddings, graduations, and in memory of someone they lost. Every occasion works.

Our Rumi trees are 5–6 years old with established root systems, which gives them a significantly higher survival rate than young seedlings. We also plant them during the Palestinian rainy season between December and March, when conditions are optimal. In the unlikely event that a tree does not survive its first year, we will plant a replacement at no additional cost and send you the new GPS coordinates and photo.

Palestinians living abroad and non-Palestinians. Muslims and non-Muslims. Arabs and Europeans. People from Germany, Canada, Pakistan, and everywhere in between. Palestine unites people across every background — that was the most beautiful thing Yahya learned from those 24 hours. And many of those first supporters have already asked when they can plant again.

OliveRoots is registered as a Social Enterprise in Latvia and is not a registered charity. Purchases are not tax deductible. You are buying a real product — a living tree, planted in Palestinian soil, documented and GPS-registered — with direct, immediate social impact. Not a donation. Something more permanent.