No fewer than four schools in Gombe State have benefitted from a collaboration between Foundation for Community Empowerment Initiative, Development Exchange Centre Small-Scale Project Fund, and Bread for the World, under the Sustainable Tree Planting and Environmental Protection.
The schools include Government Day Science (Science II), Government Day Secondary School Orji, Model Smart School Jekadafari, and Mega School Doma Gombe State.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that each school got 100 hybrid, fruit bearing, economic trees each, with less than three years maturity. The trees are cashews, guavas, mangoes, neem, black current etc.
Speaking, Team Lead of FOCEI, Benjamin Maina, recalled that recently the foundation alongside it collaborators trained 100 students on tree planting, adding that it was in a bid to prepare them for the STEP project.
According to Maina, Environmental Clubs have been established with students as members, adding that advocacies were conducted to get the deserved support from authorities.
Maina said, “The project is known as Sustainable Tree Planting and Environmental Protection. FOCEI is carrying out this in collaboration with Development Exchange Centre under the small-scale fund project with funding from Bread for the World. The project entails a series of advocacies which we have already carried out to pave way and seek the communities and stakeholders buy-in to the project.
“Today, we are planting 100 trees in this Government Day Secondary School Orji, we have been to Science II where we planted 100 trees and distributed 20 to the community, We have been to Model Smart School Jekadafari, We have also been to Mega School Doma to do the same thing. We have already established tree planting clubs in these schools, it’s their responsibility to see how they can nurture the trees. As you know, it’s very simple to plant but the most difficult aspect is nurturing it. They are the one to ensure the trees get to maturity stages.”
He urged the schools, communities to reciprocate the gesture, “by seeing that they monitor and do the needful by watering, and seeing how they can survive. On unique thing about the trees planted is that they are hybrid, fruit bearing, economic trees in less than two -years they will start bearing fruit for the benefit of the students and environment. We have cashews, guavas, mangoes, neem, black current etc,” Maina added.
While lauding the support from his partners, noting that following their intervention the project has been scaled up from one school to four and from 50 trees to 100, Maina added, “I want to appreciate Bread for the World and DEC. In 2023 we started this project out-of-our-pocket remember World Environment Day 2023, it was our resources to see we begin but as God will have it they (partners) should our effort as an organisation and supported our efforts. From one school we are going to four schools, from 50 trees in 2023 to 100 trees in each of the four schools totalling 400. We appreciate them and hope they will do more so many schools have been calling. We were at Science II, the Principal of Gandu called that he wants us to be there, as well as Principal of Comprehensive Secondary School Tundunwada that we should replicate similar campaign there. Mosques and Churches have been calling us to do the same thing within their spaces we also hope government will extend it support so that we can expand this initiative.”
A 17-year-old Head Girl of Government Day Secondary School Orji, Aisha Adamu, said “I want to plant many trees in my school and my community. I have already planted some here myself.”
Adamu who is a member of the Environmental Club told PERISCOPE NIGERIA that she will continue to care and protect trees within her school and community, “Aside planting I hope to check them regularly, and continue to water them. I will urge my fellow students to take this campaign seriously because of the importance,” she added.
On his part, Principal of GGSS Orji, Audu Musa, lauded the campaign saying that it would protect the school from gullies and provide food, shelter for students.
He said, “We really appreciate the team since the day they indicated interest for the exercise saying our school was nominated for this gesture we have been waiting for their coming. I sincerely thank the NGO for doing this because in our religion whoever plants tree, planted something that he may see in the day of judgement.”
He assured that the plants would be cared for adding, “On behalf of teachers and myself we will look after the trees to see nothing happens to them especially myself, senior master, and the Coordinator of the Environment Club; Mr Pate and his Assistant Madam Esther. I have also encouraged all teachers to plant at least a tree, I may make it a competition to ensure the trees are taken care of.”
