Green Futures Initiative, a youth-led environmental group together with their partners from Trip Addicts have launched a tree planting campaign dubbed “5 million trees, pamper a tree today”.
The campaign was launched at Kyambogo College School on Friday, August 19, 2022.
The initiators believe that when we pamper trees, we indulge in every attention, comfort and kindness, which is the way to ensure sustainable green futures.
Jonah Kirabo, a journalist and executive director of Green Futures Initiative which is partnering with Trip Addicts said that the time is now for journalists to get out of the newsrooms and do more than storytelling because climate change is a threat to all of us.
He added that, “as a journalist, I think we should do better than just telling stories. Let’s get down to the ground and get involved”.
“We have a responsibility to lead by example, inspire the now and future young leaders to love and take care of the environment,” he added.
Kirabo urged fellow journalists, youth and all stakeholders to join them on this campaign as planet earth is the only place we all call home.
Mugume Stanley, the new headmaster at Kyambogo College welcomed the initiative and planted the first tree of the campaign.
The headmaster assigned responsibility of watering the tree to one of the students, who he promised a scholarship if the tree thrived.
The headmaster said that he loves nature and encouraged students to plant and take care of the environment.
The campaign will see at least 10,000 trees planted in different parts of the country in the month of August alone.
The campaign, according to Ibrahim Kayondo who is the founder and team lead of Trip Addicts will be under the theme of “Plant a Tree anywhere, anyhow.”
He said that the Campaign is aimed at mobilising young Ugandans to plant trees and also love and pamper them.
Speaking to students at Kyambogo College, Kayondo said that:
“I love tourism, I am so passionate about it. So coming up with this tree planting campaign is meant to first of all create awareness about the flora as a great aspect of tourism,” he said.
Kayondo added that climate change is one of, if not the biggest threat to our future as young people and said that it will take everyone’s involvement to call for action, to create awareness and get involved.
“We need everyone in the fight against climate change, every little effort counts. It’s time to plant a tree everywhere” he said.
According to Kayondo, they aim to plant at least 5 million trees by 2025.
Member of the public can reach out to Kayondo via +256 701 418288 or Kirabo at +256788837279 to join the campaign.