Healers Fight For Trees

Jun 25, 2002

WHEREAS the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Ministry of Water Lands and Environment has decried the decrease of forest cover from 45% to 20% and the high levels of environmental degradation,

By Nicholas KajobaWHEREAS the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Ministry of Water Lands and Environment has decried the decrease of forest cover from 45% to 20% and the high levels of environmental degradation, here are the traditional healers who have jealously fought for the conservation of environment for generations.Since the Genesis story of creation, man was made to protect and oversee God’s creation and not to destroy it. That is what these traditional healers have been doing for generations.It is from this background that their role in environment management can no longer be neglected as Dr. Ocwayi Ogutu, one the environment activists in Jinja, remarked. He said that their participation had made the community to pick more interest in managing and conserving of nature.“Traditional healers are very good lifetime environmentalists. They identify some species of trees and herbs, even the very rare ones, and ensure that they are multiplied for medicinal purposes. We cannot afford to fail recognise their nobble contribution and advocacies any more,” Dr. Ogutu said.During the recent National Environment Day celebrations that were held in Budondo in Jinja District, they participated and displayed some of the activities they do in regard to environment conservation and nature in general.They defined themselves as traditional meteorologists and researchers, others claimed to be prophets who have the powers to look into the future and predict events.Ends

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