Ngora in 20,000-tree planting initiative

Once a green district has turned bare after its residents cut down the trees to burn bricks, construction of houses as well as charcoal.

As a result, the district now suffers from harsh weather effects such as long dry spells, hailstorm and food shortage.

Ngora district agricultural officer Gideon Ariong said the destruction of the environment has impacted negatively on the Ngora farmers.

“We no longer get rains as it was in the past and whenever we get rains, we always suffer from destruction of property as a result of strong winds that end up deroofing houses due to lack of windbreakers,” Ariong observed.

Ngora RDC John Stephen Ekoom greeting retired Anglican Reverand Robert Angiro as LC5 Mike Odongo looks on during the launch of the tree planting over the weekend in Odwarat sub county.

It is against this background that the district has embarked on a tree planting initiative with the aim of restoring the green cover that has exposed the district to deadly weather effects.

“Our wetlands have equally been degraded, an issue that is affecting the environment. We are calling on people to ensure they plant a minimum of five trees that include those for timber and for fruits,” said the district environment officer Betty Awekonimungu.

The district has resolved to partner with people and organisations to raise 20,000 trees to be planted in schools, hospital’s as well as government land.

“As Rotary Club of Ngora, we have managed to buy 10,000 trees that we are going to plant this weekend,” Ngora LC5 chairperson Mike Odongo Lo’Asio said.

He made the remarks after launching the greening exercise in Odwarat sub-county where the district planted 4,200 trees donated by Hope Again Development Organisation (HADEO) over the weekend.

Vincent Okello Engungot, the head of HADEO, said their focus is improving the livelihood of the people, health, education, and environment.

“We had to heed the call of the district in restoring the environment because in Odwarat where we operate, the environment is completely bare exposing the people we support to drought,” Okello said.

The community of Odwarat offered seven acres where the trees were planted.

Resident District Commissioner John Stephen Ekoom hailed the community for accepting to donate their land for planting trees.

According to the locals, they have continuously registered poor harvest due to the attack of the environment.

“We have reached an extent to buying firewood for cooking from neighboring Soroti district because our people here cut down trees for charcoal,” observed Hellen Akiteng, a resident of Agu.