Girls For Climate Action is well known for the Orchard Week Campaign for every first rainy season of the year and will also take charge of this year’s campaign.
March and April have the highest peak of rainfall and the major rainy season in Uganda and the Organisation utilizes the season in creating new and maintaining existing orchards.
Various fruit seedlings are donated and planted to mitigate climate change as well as beat food insecurity and provide additional nutritional value. It’s at this time of the year when both the young and old learn, unlearn and relearn about the benefits and roles of trees specifically the fruit trees.
Since initiation, over 500,000 fruit seedlings have been donated and planted and the Organisation is excited to kick start their Orchard Week Campaign 2023 starting 27th March 2023 throughout the rainy season anticipated to close in May.
Over the years, close to 60 schools, institutions and communities around Jinja, Buikwe, Wakiso and Buyende have been engaged and benefited.
During this year’s campaign, 10,000 fruit tree seedlings in 50 schools and 20 community areas including Victoria Nile Primary School, Walukuba East Primary School, Walukuba West Primary School, St. Henry’s Educational Centre, Magwa Primary School, Naranbhai Primary School, Horizon International School, Main Street Primary School, Dream Africa School Jinja and many more are being targeted and aleast 2 schools will participate per day both in morning and afternoon.
Designated invited guests to participate this year are; Jinja District Forest Officer, Ms. Zakia Namususwa, Jinja District Principal Environmental Officer, Mr. Ernest Nyabihamba, Horticulture officers and Environmentalists from Jinja District Environment Office, BABA Media Group, Busoga Today Media & Publications Ltd and various partnering CSOs like Jinja Joint Development Association – JJODA, Partners Empowering Agro-Ecology and Community Education – PEACE, First African Bicycle Organization – FABIO and many more.
Orchard Week 2023 has been enhanced with various activities like ‘The Fruit Hunt’ where participants will be tasked to hunt for fruits hidden to fill the basket in accordance to their respective animal groups like Bees, Bats, Monkeys, Rabbits, Squirrels and many more to mimic the biodiversity in the environment.
Orchard Puzzle is also among the activities where participants will be challenged to gauge their knowledge on the cycle of germination of a fruit,
Specimen Challenge will be part of the activities as well, where participants will be tasked to taxonomically identify and distinguish available tree seedlings with botanical, English and local names so as to enhance their knowledge on trees.
Green Master Walk, here participants will be taken on a walk by an arborist through the school gardens/orchards while learning more about their environment and finally the Orchard setting up will wrap up the event by planting the donated fruit tree seedlings by the participants.
