Go Green Initiative Sets Sights on Trees for Uganda
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10. 7.07
Well folks, when the Go Green Iniative (GGI) announces they’re after something they really mean it. Not too long ago they pointed out via their newsletter that they’d taken on the challenge of raising $100,000 to help the Child2Youth Foundation in Uganda educate children there about their health and its connection to the environment. Now they’ve lined up a sponsor willing to match every $50 raised by schools from now until October 25th to help get schools in Uganda involved planting trees in that country as part of a program to educate their students about the unsustainable use of trees going on while working to correct the problem at the same time.
And to sweeten the deal a bit on this end, GGI is offering the chance to win a $1000 Go Green Grant to any school that raises and donates at least $50 by that October 25th deadline to help the cause. To qualify, the check has to be postmarked by October 25th, with the winner to be announced October 29th. Because as GGI founder and executive director Jill Buck puts it, “These kids have no other advocate as most are AIDS orphans, and this is our chance to help them have a healthy, safe, and prosperous future.”
All told, Buck estimates that with the sponsor match it’s possible to raise enough cash by the deadline to support the planting of 36,000 pine trees as part of this Child2Youth program.
Go Get ‘Em!
See also: The Go Green Initiative Making A Difference In A School Near You , The Go Green Initiative!
I'm glad someone is taking a look at Uganda! I've spent three summers in Uganda working with various NGOs on child sponsorship programs and education as well as working for one ministry in particular for almost 3 years before I moved out of the country. Uganda is a beautiful place but education standards are low and the people just don't take care of their environment. People don't know enough about hygene or how their environment connects to their personal health. I really hope that this initiative is sucessful.
If you personally would like to help with a child's education you can sponsor a child with Africa Renewal Ministries www.africarenewal.org. With so many programs out there you don't know who to trust, but I've been there and seen them in action and I managed their US operations for a couple years; they're a trustworthy group. I beleive it enough to sponsor a girl I know in the program.
The replacement of trees/forests in Uganda is a great thing. Thank you! However, I have a concern that they be the "right" trees. Are you providing native species? As you know, planting non-native invasive species could be an even larger disaster in the long term. I hope this has been considered.