95 Trees for a legend

FOR Miss Earth Ambassadors 95 trees have significant value.

In honour of Nelson Mandela for changing lives for 95 years, they took the opportunity to change lives in Orange Farm.

With the help of Fourways Farmers Market, Reliance Compost, Consol, UTI and Garnier South Africa, the ambassadors planted 95 trees at Solwazi Primary School ahead of Mandela Day.

The organisation decided to honour the former statesman by planting one tree for every year of his life.

The school was founded three years ago and is nestled deep within Orange Farm.

The learning institution which has been formally adopted by the Miss Earth South Africa organisation, is without electricity and, until recently, was without running water, making it impossible to sustain any trees.

That, however, has all changed.

“One of the incredible teachers at Solwazi has worked with us for years in Orange Farm and when she brought Solwazi Primary onto our radar there was no way we couldn’t help,” said Ella Bella, Miss Earth South Africa’s educational officer.

“There wasn’t a single tree for the children to sit under, not so much as a blade of grass, and now they have 95 trees to choose from and soon they’ll have their very own sustainable food garden as well.”

Mandela has throughout his life inspired greatness in those with whom he comes into contact with, and when Miss Earth South Africa national director, Catherine Constantinides met him the affect was no less profound.

I cannot begin to explain, his life and his legacy motivate me each and every day, to be a better person, to touch people’s lives, to change the world

“Meeting Tata inspired me in ways I cannot begin to explain, his life and his legacy motivate me each and every day, to be a better person, to touch people’s lives, to change the world,” Constantinides said.

Since being named Miss Earth South Africa in 2003, Constantinides has made humanitarian work a priority in her life, through her work in rural Cambodia, to her work in the townships of South Africa.

Over the past decade, the organisation that was born of Constantinides’s dream to change the world has touched hundreds of thousands of lives and created sustainable change across South Africa.

With the assistance of Earth Outdoor Living Nursery and the Fourways Farmers Market, Miss Earth South Africa will over the course of the coming months, complete a full ‘green makeover’ at the school.

In addition, the ladies and winners of this year’s leadership programme will return to Orange Farm to assist with classroom refurbishment at Solwazi.

The 2013 Miss Earth South Africa winners will be announced at a gala function on 17 August at Montecasino’s ballroom.