Planting for the Future of Our Children

World Vision Ethiopia, Head Office staff planted tree seedlings at Gulele Botanical Garden in Addis Ababa on July 28th 2023. The tree planting event was supported and attended by the Finland Embassy, the Australian Embassy, the Horn of Africa Regional Centre (HOREC), the Ethiopian Heritage Trust, Ethiopian Forest Development (EFD) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MoE).

National Coordinator and Focal Person for the Green Legacy Initiative, Dr. Adefris Worku, who was among the participants appreciated the initiative as it would bolster the Ethiopian government’s plan to plant 50 billion trees in eight years.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Samuel Tilahun, World Vision Ethiopia Operations Director said, “World Vision Ethiopia’s initiative is part of the Ethiopian Government’s effort to regreen 25 million hectares of land.” He emphasised World Vision Ethiopia’s plans for afforestation thereby fighting desertification. He mentioned the recent campaign for Planting Tree Seedlings in all World Vision Ethiopia’s Area Programmes (AP) across Ethiopia in which more than 500,000 people including local government staff planted 6.9 million tree seedlings.” 

Prior to the event, World Vision Ethiopia joined the Ethiopian Government’s “Planting 500 million Tree Seedlings in a Day” initiative by planting tree seedlings in all of its Area Programmes on July 17th 2023, covering 6,000 hectares of land.

One of the participants is a five-year-old, Hassenat, who planted six seedlings in the garden. She is hopeful that such an initiative will make a better world for children. “Planting a tree is a good thing to do," she recommended.

By Fekadu Ethiopia, Communications Coordinator (ILaNS), World Vision Ethiopia