BUJUMBURA December 3rd (ABP) – The NGO Foresta has initiated a sensitization campaign for the people of Mutambu commune, Bujumbura province (western Burundi), with the aim of protecting the environment by planting trees made up of endangered species like “imivugangoma” in addition to species such as cedrella odorata and cassia siamea as part of the future tree day and the environmental protection, a check by ABP revealed.
According to the administrator of Mutambu commune, Mr. Jean Pierre Niyongabo, those plants were produced on the ground by the people with the support of the NGO Foresta which he thanked a lot, expressing the wish to see other NGOs to follow suit because the slippery lands of Mutambu still need to be protected.
The national director of the NGO Foresta, Mr. Noé Nizigama, said that the NGO he represents has produced more than 5 million seedlings all over the country and that it is present in provinces like Bujumbura, Bururi and Rutana where it works on three components namely, the environment, agriculture and microcredit.
As part of that environmental protection project, 900 thousand seedlings were produced this year, of which 400 thousand were produced by the people.
In Bujumbura province, 7505 forest, agroforestry and fruit trees were produced in Mutambu commune and he took the opportunity to urge the people to plant them at home.
The governor of Bujumbura, Mrs. Nadine Gacuti, commended that project which she said was timely and encouraged any initiative of this kind.
She asked the people of Mutambu to protect those trees which, according to her, are of great value to them and to the nation, recalling that the country has made the environmental protection a top priority, as evidenced by the ”Ewe Burundi urambaye” program.
She warned anyone who would venture to fell those trees, saying they will be seriously punished. She recalled what happened last year when the trees planted under the ”Ewe Burundi urambaye” program were subjected to nasty destruction and recalled that the perpetrators paid for it.
