Umoja Cultural Heritage Association Uganda in partnership with GRO Foundation, have planted 100 trees at the Uganda Museum, ahead of tomorrow’s Independence Day celebrations.
This plantation is part of the foundation’s goal of planting 250 million trees in the next three years.
Laban Joshua Musinguzi a member of Umoja Cultural Heritage Association Uganda said that they will involve communities during this exercise which aims at restoring Uganda’s degrading forest cover.
“Many Ugandans are detached from their heritage and culture, we have involved opinion leaders, cultural leaders, the media among others to ease conservation of culture and heritage from their origins,” he said.
Speaking at the launch, Ms Jackline Besigye Nyiracyiza, the Assistant Commissioner of Sites at the Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities said that many people have not yet embraced culture and heritage yet it has many opportunities.
“As the ministry of tourism, we observed that domestic tourism grew amidst Covid19 and we are starting to interest Uganda about their culture and heritage. We are developing a range of products for Uganda,” she said while at the Independence Heritage Celebration organised by Umoja Cultural Heritage Association Uganda at Uganda Museum on Sunday.
As an effort to link communities with their culture and heritage, different organisations are coming with different ideas.
Uganda will tomorrow mark her 61st independence anniversary in the official function that will be presided over by the president in Kyegegwa district.
This tree planting exercise come few weeks since the foundation together with the youth coalition for SDGs which Musinguzi heads, partnered with the Interreligious council of Uganda on the same cause.
Mr Musinguzi, the UYC-SDGs president says youths will utilize the planted trees to save their environment which is being affected by deadly climate change, which trickle down directly to them.
“We are optimistic that these projects will help youths who are set to benefit from various projects like fish farming, goat farming among others aimed at helping them rise out of poverty,” he said.
Mr Paul Flinn the representative of CEO of GRO Foundation said that between $100 million and $150 million shall be invested in the project.
“This money will go straight to the communities where the trees will be planted, they will plant them then take care of them to ensure that they grow to realize back Uganda’s green plantations,” he said.
“We as GBO Foundation have chosen to fund in areas that are dimmed unfundable and we know these trees will have a decade impact on the lives of ordinary Ugandans in communities they will be planted in,” he added.
