By Steven Enatu
SOOROTI CITY
Professor Patrick Ogwang Egeu the director Jena Herbals in conjunction with Miss Tourism Teso has launched tree planting in Teso.
Professor Ogwang who rose to stardom with his Covidex herbal medicine launched the tree planting yesterday, 5th April 2022 in a campaign dubbed Trees for life.
Trees for life is an environmental campaign whose intention is geared towards creating awareness about the effects of climate change.
Jessica Sheila Ogeuna Aanyu, the CEO Miss Tourism Teso said that the campaign is aimed at greening Teso with a target of planting 25 million trees within five years.
While launching the project at Mayor’s Garden Soroti city, Professor Ogwang urged the community in Teso to embark on tree planting, especially medicinal trees like Abac and Eusuk.
These species, he said, have the potential to change the lives of people since the world is turning back to herbal medicines for treatment.
“The rate of conversion to herbal medicine in the world is very fast now and this shows you how herbal medicine will be very important. We need to grow more herbal medicinal species of trees for wealth,” he said.
According to Prof. Ogwang, this move, if embraced by the Community in Teso, will also eradicate poverty.
The Resident City Commissioner, Soroti City, Peter Pex Paak however said that the mindset of the community needs to be flashed to embrace the project.
Paak also noted that there will be need for enforcement using the forest act and pushing all Districts in Teso to pass ordinances that see each member from every household plant at least a number of trees.
“Even institutions like churches should be preaching in their churches about the importance of tree planting and schools should set up woodlots,” he said.
In the past, Teso used to have forest reserves in most of its sub counties however the trend has changed with many places just open with few trees. This is as a result of charcoal burning and pressure for land to establish structures.
