Vision Group, NFA in indigenous tree planting partnership

ENVIRONMENT  CONSERVATION  FORESTRY  AFFORESTATION

KAMPALA -  It was not a matter of talking about how Uganda's environment has received devastating blows. Robert Kabushenga, the chief executive officer and managing director of Vision Group and Tom Okello, the executive director of the National Forestry Authority formed a partnership to restore Mother Nature.

After stepping into the premises housing Vision Group, Okello, a humble forester confessed on his first visit to Uganda's leading media house that he did not know that there was a lot more than what he sees along First and Third Street in Industrial Area.

Like a golf ball teeing off, Kabushenga shot to three points why he was engaging Okello. He said two years ago, Vision Group generated a lot of interest among the public but there was little planting material.

In addition, some of the planting material landed in the hands of politicians who took down for politicking purposes, according to Kabushenga.

This time around, Kabushenga wants it to be different by engaging professional experts. He also pointed out that the target of the tree planting campaign is refugee communities and schools as well as Ugandans who are interested in planting indigenous trees.

Kabushenga and Okello interacting

 
"We want to work with the refugee community and replenish schools in poor areas because fruit trees particularly have nutritional benefits," said Kabushenga, adding that a school that has 30 fruit trees such as jackfruit is better off compared to schools without trees.

The Vision Group CEO said he had called Okello to create a partnership to promote the campaign that will support the planting of fruit trees and indigenous trees particularly those with medicinal values such as Prunus Africana and multi-purpose trees.

Okello accepted to form the partnership and praised Kabushenga pointing out that it is necessary to move away from doing things in a way that is business as usual. He said the environment has been battered in different parts of the country and that this requires ambitious plans to get restored.