The National
Forestry Authority- NFA has embarked on a mass reforestation drive in Gulu
district.
The initiative which was launched on Friday by Awach Town Council seeks to
plant at least one million trees in the area within five years to restore the
massively destroyed tree covers.
It is being done jointly by NFA and Aswa Development Initiative (ADI), a
community-based organization.
The drive will see at least 200,000 tree seedlings of different varieties
planted by the community and different entities planted yearly.
On Friday NFA and ADI through their different structures disbursed and planted
35,000 tree seedlings including pines, Afzelia Africana (beyo), mahogany
(mvule), Melania in different learning institutions including Awach Central
Primary School.
Jimmy Ouna, the NFA Regional Manager for Lango and Acholi sub-regions said that
the five-year partnership seeks to restore the destroyed forest covers due to
the need for commercial purposes.
//Cue in: ‘’we as NFA…
Cue out: …plant for themselves.’’//
Through the program, NFA will be tasked with providing tree seedlings to ADI
who will, in turn, use its different structures within the eleven sub-counties
to mobilize the masses to plant and protect the trees.
Robert Akena, the Aswa Development Initiative General Secretary said that the
partnership is in response to restoring the depleted environment which
threatens desertification in the Acholi sub-region.
He added that they will also embark on massive sensitization and awareness
creation on the importance of tree covers and the need for protecting
them.
//Cue in: ‘ka inen watyeko…
Cue out: …in bene inongo.’’//
Patrick Ocan, the Headteacher Awach Primary School where the drive was launched
said that they will engage learners to embrace tree planting and ensure that
each of them participates.
//Cue in: ‘’omiyo bene ka…
Cue out: …generations and
generations.’’//
Lucy Aloyo, a resident of Paduny in Awach Sub County welcomed the collaboration
noting that it will greatly save the degraded environment.
//Cue in: ‘’an ki tama…
Cue out: …tye I area.’’//
According to Ouna, says more than 20,000 acres of forest cover in the Acholi
sub-region are being destroyed daily adding that the areas that were covered by
forest are now with less than 10% coverage.
Emmy Daniel Ojara
Freelancer