UBA officials are joined by students of Emma High School to plant trees in commemoration of the World Environment Day
The United Bank for Africa Uganda (UBAU) has launched a tree-planting campaign across the country in commemoration of the World Environment Day.
The bank is using the campaign to create awareness about the importance of conserving the environment and the fight against the use of plastics.
Speaking at the event held at Emma High School in Kikaaya, a Kampala suburb on Monday, Suzan Akisu, the UBA Regional Manager, said that the bank is celebrating the World Environment Day which is marked annually on 5th June, with the purpose of conserving the environment from the perennial plastics and polythene bags.
“We have done this in the four regions where we have branches across the country . We are reaching out to hospitals, churches, and schools in all the 20 African countries UBA exists. In schools, we teach students to keep the environment clean and advantages of planting trees,” Akisu said.
She noted that the bank plans to plant over 1,000 fruit trees and they will keep doing so annually.
Hoziana Niyonsaba Ssemanda, the Ag. Head Marketing and Corporate Communications at UBA Uganda, added that the bank chose to plant fruit trees because they serve a multi-purpose role in the environment.
“As we save our environment, we are trying much to plant trees with a multi-purpose role in the future. That’s why we selected fruit trees to provide food, shades and a convenient environment,” she said.
John Ddumba, the Director of Studies (DOS) at Emma High School, commended UBA for choosing their school and pledged to compel students to take good care of the trees donated by the bank.
According to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), every year, 2.6% of the country’s forests are cut down for fuel and agriculture. If things stay as they are, Uganda will lose all its forest cover in less than 25 years. However, institutions like UBA have already come out to save the situation (restore the lost forest cover).
The Ministry of Water and Environment says at least every Ugandan should plant 11 trees for the country to recover its forest cover.
