FINCA Uganda, NFA to Start 60-Hectare Tree Planting Drive

FINCA Uganda has partnered  with  the National Forestry Authority (NFA)  in a  forest restoration initiative worth shs 100m seeking to restore 60  hectares  of forest land.

This corporate social responsibility program is part of activities to commemorate FINCA’s 30th anniversary in Uganda.

The exercise will cover a period of five years and the restoration planting that  will be spread ten  central forest reserves across the country has been launched in Bajo  Central Forest Reserve Kayunga district that  covers a total of 3,373 hectares but also gazzetted in 1932 as a catchment area for River Ssezibwa and River Nile that are a water catchment for L. Victoria.

“At FINCA, we are cognizant of the need to preserve the environment for the present and future generations. At the end of this 5 year period, we should have restored over 60 hectares of forest cover” FINCA believes in conserving the environment and its sustainability. This is also depicted in our logo, symbolized as a tree nurturing another,” Olive Lumonya, the FINCA Uganda board chairperson said.

At the same function, the State Minister for Finance Amos Lugoolobi who also doubles as the  Ntenjeru Member of Parliament, Amos Lugoloobi  implored  Ugandans to embrace conservation of the environment.

“You are a Ugandan first and these are Uganda’s resources that we must conserve. We need a mind-set change
among communities, to help the population gain positive and favorable attitudes towards tree growing and forest protection, while adopting non- wood sources of fuel” he said.

The NFA Executive Director, Tom Obong Okello applauded such efforts by the private sector to replenish the environment.

“When we see a private company like FINCA choosing to invest in tree growing then then know that a country we are collective responsibility to restore our degraded landscape and it is because of such initiates coupled with NFA forest restoration programs, plantation establishment and strict protection of the forests that we have recently seen an increase in forest cover from 9% of the total land cover in Uganda in 2015 to 13.4% in 2019 National Biomass Report,” he said.

At NFA we believe if all citizens, companies and agencies embraced such tree planting efforts Uganda would will her National Development Plan III that targets to restores forest cover up to 15% and the Uganda Vision 2040 that targets restoring forest cover to 24% of the total land cover like it was in 1990 and this would minimize on the environmental disasters that we are witnessing today like the recent flash floods in Mbale district. The drive comes at a time when efforts are needed to restore Uganda’s forest cover for a better Uganda. Tree growing is one of the mitigation measures to the effects of climate change.”