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Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The leadership of Tekwaro Lango, a parallel faction of Lango cultural leadership in conjunction with the Ministry of Water and Environment has launched a tree planting drive in an attempt to avert climate change.
The drive dubbed “the Greening Lango Project” will have a million trees planted across Lango sub region under the supervision of various cultural heads within this year.
The clan leaders are tasked to mobilize, and supervise the tree-planting exercise whereas district councils and churches are encouraged to plant trees on public places, and their land respectively.
This is in line with Uganda’s vision 2040 intended to restore forest cover up to 24% as it was in the 1990.
Engineer Dr. Michael Moses Odongo Okune, the Tekwaro Lango Cultural head who explained that his subjects can avert the catastrophic impact of climate change by simply planting trees urged every household to embrace tree planting.
He advised the local leaders within the communities to use the same energy being used in fight against domestic violence and other bad practices to fight deforestation.
Edwin Odurluru, the Awitim of Tekwaro Lango explained that their focus is centered on greening Lango other than engaging on other “petty talks and propaganda” being propagated by the other cultural faction. Adding that the tree seedlings are enough for everyone who is interested.
Odur added saying “Each clan member must plant a tree because we have a saying that you can identify a family with bright and civilized people by the number of trees planted at that home. We are promising that this project will continue. We have hoping to collaborate with Busoga Kingdom through the rotary club of Uganda to supply more tree seedlings in case that from NFA is not enough.”
Meanwhile, the Sector Manager National Forestry Authority, Gracious Aguti applauded the institution for this development saying without tree planting, Uganda will not have available firewood in the next ten years because it loses 1,000 acres of forest annually.
The leaders kick started the program on Tuesday at Abia Seed Secondary School where they planted 2,000 trees. Abia sub county had its forest cover destroyed when it hosted an IDP camp during the LRA insurgency.
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