"More than 100 Million Trees Planted in 2009 -
And over 500 million planted since inception in 2003"
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The Total Eco Challenge gave special recognition to 65 tree planting projects at its sixth annual gala awards dinner in Nairobi. The Eco Challenge now has more than 3,000 projects all over Kenya. Together they have planted nearly half-a-billion trees since the project began in 2003. Award winners ranged from single individuals to giant corporations, each judged on their achievement relative to their size and circumstances. |
| Total Kenya Managing Director, Felix Majekodunmi said: "Farmers, businessmen, professionals, academics and clerics, soldiers and policemen, children, men and women, young and old, black and white, rich and poor. ALL…are planting trees. "Factories, office blocks, churches, schools, clubs, family homes, hospitals and banks, dairies and airports, councils and townships. ALL…are planting trees. |
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Kenya is literally changing its landscape and embedding tree-planting as a part of her culture."
He added: "The numbers really are huge. And they need to be. For, as the people in this room
tonight know better than anybody, the demand for fuel-wood and wood products is equally huge.
Our capacity to harvest trees is huge...and relentless. And while we have reached the target of
planting 100 million trees in one year, let us remember that we need to achieve this target every
year. The job is far from done. We have proved that it can be done. Now we must get on and
do it, and keep doing it."
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Announcing the winners, Total's Corporate Affairs Manager, Mr Maurice K'Anjejo said: "The projects are too numerous to name, but the Eco Challenge honours them all. We have studied them throughout the year, and selected just 1 per cent for special mention; from a fantastic array of effort and achievement, that 1 per cent represent the most exceptional." |
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Some have planted only a couple of dozen trees, but in the harshest conditions with the least
resources. Others, with much bigger resources and more fertile locations have planted many
millions of trees, but for them to win they have not only planted higher numbers than their
neighbours but also beaten their own performance of previous years. |
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K'Anjejo said: "To several projects of all sizes which have won awards before, our Challenge
becomes even more demanding – not just "have you done much?" but "have you done even more?"
His rallying call at the end of the ceremony was based on "panda", a swahili phrase with double-meaning.
K'Anjejo said:
If we plant (panda) as individuals we will climb (panda)as a nation, so either way…panda miti!" |
