Desertification and Drought Day – June 17 |19 June 2020
The tree-planting activity in full swing
Pointe Larue school takes part in tree-planting activity
Desertification and Drought Day, which this year has for motto ‘Food. Feed. Fibre’, has heard calls for sustainable production and consumption.
This year’s slogan focuses on the importance of sustaining our food resources, reducing our personal impact and maintaining a yield that will meet the demand of the world’s population by 2050.
To mark this day on Wednesday June 17, a tree planting activity was organised at the Pointe Larue secondary school by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change. It was attended by a dozen students, teachers, ministry representatives and the head teacher of the school Jenny Kilindo.
Students planted 12 local fruit trees which include guava, golden apple, local apple just to name a few.
“Like every year we take part in desertification day and this year it was no exception,” said John Quilindo, principal forestry officer.
He added that this year’s theme reflects on the COVID-19 situation we are facing.
“When we take in the theme for this year we can see the importance that agriculture has in our country,” he said adding that “land is important regarding the food and feed component, we need to have enough land to plant produce as well as caring for livestock. This is why we must use the land we have in a sustainable way”.
Seychelles doesn’t produce fibre to make materials, however Mr Quilindo noted that we are indirectly supporting the countries that do by buying clothes.
“Land is scarce in Seychelles so we have joined with various schools so they can play their part by using their available space to plant fruit trees,” said Mr Quilindo.
On her part, the head teacher of the school, Ms Kilindo, noted that the school decided to take part in the activity because it is part of their strategic plan to beautify the school and have more plants on the campus.
“We have an abundance of space so when the people from the ministries of environment and education approached us with this offer we gladly accepted it,” she said
She noted that the eco-school committee, students and the teacher who teaches agriculture will take care of the plants.
Christophe Zialor
