By Aji Fatou Faal
Green Banjul Project, in collaboration with the Development Oriented Citizens of Banjul (DOC)-Green up Banjul, embarked on a tree planting exercise recently to help protect the environment from climate variability or deforestation.
Joined by the First Lady for the exercise in Banjul, the pilot project hopes to plant 3000 edible trees such as mango, mandarin, orange and pear.
First Lady Fatou Bah-Barrow planted the first tree and then named it after Banjul Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe.
She advised them to ‘take good care’ of the planted trees and environment, and called on others to emulate the ‘good work’.
Project coordinator and Banjul Central NAM, Muhammad Ndow, enunciated the significance of the initiative, appealing to Banjulians to be part of the exercises.
Ndow defined tree planting as the only way to combat deforestation and desertification.
He said they have planted in various towns and places in Banjul including Half Die Mosque, Tesito-Box Bar Junction, Methodist and Wesley Lower Basic Schools, Crab Island roundabout, James Senegal Junction, Spalding Curve Junction and others.
Bai Madi Ceesay, Green Climate Fund country director also took part in the exercise and promised to give necessary support to the project.
Other speakers included Omar Touray, deputy mayor and Mamur Touray, Councillor of New Town East Ward.
