AfriForum branches out to plant trees at local schools
"We at AfriForum are committed to creating a better future for all who inhabit our country. What better way to do so than to plant trees to provide oxygen and shade for the children at our local schools. They are the future, after all and it is them who will carry this initiative forward..."
There’s a popular Chinese proverb that says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now,” and AfriForum branches across the country took this saying to heart last week as they somewhat belatedly celebrated Arbor Month.
The Vryheid branch of AfriForum was no exception and they utilised the opportunity to educate some of the local schools on the importance of planting trees, as well as providing many of them with some insight into the role of AfriForum within the community.
The crew from AfriForum in Vryheid, comprised of Louis Breytenbach, Flip Oosthuizen, Gavin Minott and André van der Walt, visited Vryheid High School, Risen Son Academy, Inkanyiso Special School and Lucas Meyer Primary School. They also dropped off two trees at Michaelis School to be planted on their grounds. At Risen Son Academy, Provincial Coordinator for AfriForum, Eugene van Aswegen even dropped by to get his hands in the dirt and show the children how to plant a tree.
The team was well received by the schools and Chairman of Vryheid AfriForum Veiligheid, Gavin Minott pointed out that, at Inkanyiso School, the children were overwhelmed with gratitude when, after discovering that the school has allegedly not had running water since the drought of 2016 crippled the town, the AfriForum team provided them with much needed water, filling bottles for them as they concluded their visit.
Each of the schools thanked them for their contribution and expressed their gratitude for the invaluable information and welcomed the addition of the Wit Stinkhout (Celtis Africana) and Kannabas Pom Pom (Dais Cotinifolia) sapling trees to their landscapes.
AfriForum reports that, on a national level, they planted approximately 2 530 trees countrywide in 2019 “as part of the civil rights organisation’s national Arbor Month project.”
“By planting indigenous trees we are not only preserving our environment and making it a more beautiful place to live in, but we are also showing that we have hope for the future. Trees are much more than simply an important part of the ecosystem or an essential natural resource – trees are symbolic of life,” says Lambert de Klerk, AfriForum’s Manager of Environmental Affairs on the AfriForum website.
Locally, AfriForum Chairman, André van der Walt added, “We at AfriForum are committed to creating a better future for all who inhabit our country. What better way to do so than to plant trees to provide oxygen and shade for the children at our local schools. They are the future, after all and it is them who will carry this initiative forward…”
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Also read: Safety structures join forces for mass patrol through Vryheid
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