The local Foundation team plants trees at the Bonsi school in N’Dali

Since 1985 Benin celebrates the national ‘Arbor day’ every year on June 1st. As a foundation, we do not let this day pass by unnoticed. This year, the local team launched an afforestation campaign together with the primary school of Bonsi in the municipality of N’Dali.

Interesting to know: on the national Arbor Day, people are invited to plant or take care of trees. The initiative for this day arose in 1872 when J. Sterling Morton and Robert Furnas, respectively secretary and governor of the state of Nebraska, called upon the pioneers to remedy the shortage of trees by planting as many as possible.

Many countries have the ‘tree festival’ or Arbor Day, which celebrates both the arrival of spring and nature. Local authorities use it to raise awareness and encourage people to fight desertification by planting trees. It is also for this reason that the Foundation sets up every year on June 1 an activity in favor of the recovery of ground vegetation. This year, we went to the primary school of Bonsi, one of the schools with which we work, to plant new trees.

A dozen trees will be planted

Five young mango trees and five young gmelina trees were planted in the primary school. Both pupils and staff were present. And each tree got its own name: the success tree, the happiness tree, the peace tree, the love tree etc.

The local team specifically chose the Bonsi primary school because there was not a single tree in the extensive courtyard. The trees that have now been planted will not only provide shade, but also fruit within a few years. Everyone involved in the activity is aware that the trees will have to be well cared for. To protect them from animals, fences will be erected around them. And the staff and pupils will water the trees regularly.

Marius Amoussou, the director of the school, promises that he will strictly follow the care of the trees. Afforestation is very important. He is very grateful to the local team of the Foundation for thinking of his school.