To save the environment is a responsibility of every Ugandan, for National Patriotism Corps Secretariat Commissioner Hellen Seku, she is determined to have a total of more than one million trees planted across the country in the remaining months of the year 2024.
In that bid, Seku’s National Patriotism Environmental Protection campaign was launched last week by the President of Uganda, Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at Kitebi Senior Secondary School in Rubaga Division, Kampala Capital City Authority.
In that same spirit, Seku together with her team, spent the whole of last week in the West Nile Region moving school per school, planting the trees and educating the learners about the advantages entailed in saving the environment through tree planting.
At the end of it all, the team aims at having the 18 zones across the country covered by one million trees and above.
Commissioner Seku is leading the campaign herself as she leads the team into different schools not only to do tree planting but also to meet with regional and school leaders at various levels to further discuss how best the environment can be conserved.
Geoffrey Okiswa, the Arua Resident District Commissioner (RDC), welcomed the project saying it has come at a time when the environment in the region has been destroyed to the edge.
“Tree planting is keen to our attention and we have already secured 4000 seedlings from National Forestry Authority (NFA) and after the launch, we are going to be rolled to other schools and the wider community,” Okiswa said.
He added that: “We have also been guided by the Commissioner to get in touch with NEMA to enable us have many trees especially fruit trees which we are going to be beneficial to the communities, schools inclusive.” said
During the event, West Nile leaders expressed concern over the high number of children involved in sexual activities in the region that if no action is taken the country is heading for disaster.
Jacob Walega, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of Arua district, protested the rampant sexual activities in the region and called for action as the future lies in the hands of the youths.
“We have cases of ten girls being raped every week in Arua here. we have child mothers because of discos but parents, how do you allow your child to come back home at 5:00am dirty and drunk!” Walega noted.
In her speech, Seku who is also the presidential private secretary on youth affairs based her message to students to put more focus on academics and have discipline if they are to excel in life.
She further encouraged them to plant trees both at home and school in a way of protecting the environment.
“I want to encourage you to value education while you are at school, read your books hard, consult your teachers, make them your friends but most importantly, have discipline because I do not expect a girl child who have gone to school to laugh like a villager but always laugh with care,” she said, adding;
“I encourage all of you to plant at least five different fruit trees at school and home and in doing so, we shall not face any drought challenges anymore. I want to come back here next year and find the trees you have planted because they produce fruits for you to sell and get rich, and when you are all rich, we shall fight corruption.”
She went ahead to urge students to avoid sexual decadence, avoid unplanned pregnancies, and deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS. In doing so, you will have tackled the rampant school dropout challenge.
“A few weeks ago, scientists made a report to the president that it has been disclosed that 600 youths contract HIV/AIDS every seven days, now who is safe, but It is a collective effort for different stakeholder from grassroots, headteachers and religious leaders to join hands and fight the vice,” she appealed.
“It is our effort to also join hands and fight early marriages, these things of thinking that a girl child who is above nine years old, she is ready for marriage should come to an end,” Seku stressed.