Barloworld, Food & Trees For Africa and TEACH SA plant Trees For Arbor

Posted by TEACH South Africa

On September 22, hundreds of children dressed in their smart red and grey school uniforms sat on the playing fields of Phumulani Secondary School in Ekurhuleni South School District – ready to learn about global warming and celebrate the donation of indigenous trees by Barloworld, Food and Trees for Africa (FTFA) and TEACH South Africa.

The school planted two indigenous trees that will provide year-round shade for the learners as well as being hardy and easy to care for.

Richard Masemola, a founding member of TEACH South Africa, said: “This donation is going to help in the motivation of the school and they will see that the partnership [with TEACH South Africa] is working and start believing in the relationship between the public and private companies.

“This also shows the children how to care for the environment, which is a key curriculum issue,” he said.

FTFA is dedicated to teaching South Africa’s children about the effects of global warming and creating environmental awareness and education.

Arbour Month (September) was the perfect opportunity to take this message to children and to give them a practical demonstration of how to offset carbon emissions by planting trees.

Barloworld, a large industrial brand management company, dedicates significant time and resources to supporting educational NGOs and helps to create synergy between various corporate social initiatives.

Thuli Matlala, a Barloworld CSI officer, said: “We provide start-up NGOs with accommodation and help to take that burden off them and we also provide synergy with other organisations that they might find useful.”

Hence the collaboration on this project, bringing together TEACH South Africa and FTFA.

“In Arbour Month we wanted to assist with the greening of the country,” Matlala said.

Deputy school principal Mikes Sepuru said: “We are very proud that you have presented these trees to us today. The biggest challenge facing us is global warming and one way to counter this is to plant as many trees as possible.”

Daniel Chitungo from FTFA said: “Barloworld donated trees and we have worked with Barloworld for a long time to make sure that our environment is clean and green.”

Posted on October 21, 2009