Few days after President Yoweri Museveni launched the environmental protection campaign at Kitebi Senior Secondary School in Rubaga Division Kampala, with the aim to plant more than 1000,000 trees across the country in an effort to conserve the environment, the same drive has been wide spread to West Nile region last week .
The development is currently a sole specific core assignment of the new National Patriotism Environmental Protection campaign, led by the National Patriotism Corps Secretariat Commissioner Hellen Seku to ensure the planting of at least one million trees in 18 zones across the country by the end of this year.
Seku who was the chief guest first visited several schools and she later met with regional and school leaders at various levels to further discuss how best the environment can be conserved.
Geoffrey Okiswa who is the 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 brim.
“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,”
“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 do.” said Okwiswa..
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 5am 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,”
“ 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’re all rich, we shall fight corruption.” said Seku
She went ahead to urge students to avoid sexual decadence to avoid unplanned pregnancies, deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS and school dropouts and said that stakeholders should all work together to fight this practice.
“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 stakeholders from grassroots, headteachers, religious leaders should join hands and fight it.”
“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 added.
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