Speaking at the event, Provincial Education Standards Officer (PESO) Mr. Cephas Lata emphasized the importance of collective environmental stewardship. He urged the school community to care for the newly planted trees so that future generations of learners could benefit. “Before the creation of man, God created the environment where man would live. So, when we are planting trees, we are responding to God’s call to take care of the environment, including the trees,” he said. Mr. Lata added that tree planting is a key priority for the government, which has tasked the Ministry of Education with making it an integral part of its programs.
ZRCS Kapiri Mposhi Branch President Henry Kapya challenged everyone to reflect on their personal contribution to environmental conservation, asking, “What action have you taken to make the environment better?” He urged the gathering, emphasizing that, the best time for everyone to take action, is now and the need to care for the newly planted trees and also encouraged individuals to continue planting trees wherever they are. Mr. Kapya also thanked the government for its strong partnership with ZRCS and expressed gratitude to the Japanese Red Cross for their generous support.
The five schools benefiting from the tree planting initiative are Kapiri Day Secondary School, Matilyo Primary School, Lukanda Primary School, Mulungushi Primary School, and Mulonga Primary School. Each school received both fruit and non-fruit trees as part of the Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) project, which ZRCS is implementing in Kapiri Mposhi with support from Japanese Red Cross.