By Eumu Emmanuel
Kwania District—In a significant environmental conservation initiative, Miss Tourism Northern Uganda has partnered with Lady Tree Co. Ltd, a local company dedicated to planting and managing trees, to plant over one million trees across 20 schools in the Lango sub-region. This ambitious campaign aims to plant 50,000 trees per school, promoting environmental conservation and awareness among students.
The launch of this tree-planting exercise took place at Aduku Seed Secondary School in Kwania District. Cavvine Ayao, representing the project, emphasized the commitment to restoring degraded forest landscapes, starting with schools. “Our task is great, but this mission is achievable through the joint efforts of all stakeholders,” Ayao stated. She highlighted that tree planting would help connect students to the benefits of trees and foster environmental stewardship.
Ayao explained, “Tree planting is a great way to increase students’ interest in their local environment and achieve academic goals. When students plant trees, they can see for themselves the structures of trees, learn what they need, and understand how they grow.” She also noted that teachers could use the planting process to discuss the benefits trees provide while integrating various subjects into their classes.
Michael Oboke, spokesperson for Miss Tourism Northern Uganda, added that the initiative goes beyond planting trees. “We are sensitizing students on environmental conservation,” he said. Oboke warned of the real threat of environmental degradation and stressed the importance of personal involvement in protecting the environment. “If we do not reverse the declining forest cover, we face the risk of desertification and an inability to meet our wood needs by 2030.”
Charles Mugisha, headteacher of Aduku Seed Secondary School, expressed his gratitude to Lady Tree Co. Ltd for their support. “This gift of trees will make a significant impact on the school and students’ lives. Fighting climate change requires all of us working together,” Mugisha said.
According to a 2019 inventory by the National Forestry Authority, Uganda has lost half of its forest cover in the past 30 years, dropping from 4.9 million hectares to 2.5 million hectares. With Uganda’s population increasing from 17.5 million in 1990 to over 48 million today, the pressure on forest resources has intensified. The forestry sector contributes 6% to Uganda’s GDP, and over 90% of the population depends on firewood and charcoal.