By Steven Enatu
SERERE
Women and Girls Rights Advocacy Uganda (WAGRAU), a Serere-based community organization promoting women’s empowerment and environmental sustainability, has distributed 200 eucalyptus tree seedlings to rural women groups to mark the International Day of Rural Women.
The tree distribution event, held at WAGRAU’s offices in Serere on Wednesday, 15th October, 2025, was organized under the global theme “Rural Women: Sustaining Families and Communities in a Changing Climate.” The initiative aims to strengthen women’s resilience against the effects of climate change by encouraging tree planting and environmental conservation.
Loise Mary Ariekot, Chairperson of Omunyolo Women WAGRAU Group, hailed the effort as a practical way of involving women in climate action.
“We shall plant these trees and show our children how to care for them so they learn the importance of protecting our environment,” Ariekot said.
Jane Akola, who leads the Ojepai WAGRAU Women Group, added that WAGRAU’s work has empowered rural women to take an active role in restoring the environment.
“Through WAGRAU, we have gained knowledge and practical tools to respond to climate change. Planting trees is one way we can restore our environment and support our farming,” she noted.
WAGRAU’s Communication Officer, Silvia Oluka, said the organization is focusing on integrating women’s voices into climate solutions, emphasizing that women play a central role in sustainable agriculture and environmental care.
“Rural women are the heartbeat of our food systems, but they are also the most affected by the changing climate. By giving them tree seedlings, we are not just greening the land, we are strengthening families, farms, and the future,” Oluka said.
She further noted that the tree planting drive is part of WAGRAU’s broader environmental conservation program targeting women in farming communities across Teso.
“As we all see and feel the changes in rain patterns, there is a need for a collective responsibility to sensitize our women on the benefits of protecting land and conserving the environment by planting trees to mitigate climate effects” she said.
The organization hopes that by planting trees, women can help conserve soil, improve fertility, attract rainfall, and mitigate the harsh effects of prolonged droughts.
“If you move around most of the places in Teso, the land is almost left bare. And if women, who are the most users of firewood and charcoal, are not sensitized on the dangers of cutting down trees then let’s prepare for the worse” she said.
Oluka also used the celebration to remind the public that rural women remain the unsung heroes of Uganda’s agricultural economy.
“Rural women matter, they feed us, yet they are often forgotten. If we don’t sensitize them on the dangers of deforestation, we risk losing the environment that sustains us,” she said.
The International Day of Rural Women, celebrated every year on October 15, recognizes the vital role of women in enhancing agricultural development, food security, and environmental protection.
