Miss Earth Namibia 2023 Martha Kautanevali says she wants to facilitate the donation of 2 500 trees to 500 schools in Namibia by the end of 2024.
She says she is committed to fostering tangible improvements to the country’s ecosystem.
“My goal is to donate five trees to 500 schools each,” she says.
Kautanevali says her project has received 100 trees to date, including 60 seedlings from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.
“So far, forty trees have been donated to the School for the Visually Impaired, Tobias Hainyeko Primary School, Jan Möhr Secondary School, and Charity Works orphanage at Havana,” she says.
The trees will contribute to a reduction in carbon, improve the quality of air and promote biodiversity by adding to the variety of plants found in certain areas.
The project also aims to foster environmental awareness and promote a sustainability mindset among the youth.
“I aim to give the youth general knowledge on ecological issues the country faces. When you show young people the practicality of solutions, they can carry that knowledge with them for a lifetime,” Kautanevali says.
A teacher at Tobias Hainyeko Primary School, Therens Ndisiro, says: “The tree donations will help pupils embrace the sustainable development goals.”
The school has received papaya and chilli seedlings.
The founder of Charity Works’ feeding programme, Penomwene Nekwaya, says receiving lemon tree and green pepper seedlings would allow the centre to move towards its goal of food security.
The programme is largely dependent on meal donations and feeds 400 children every Saturday.
Environment ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda says the ministry is happy to support the project.
“This is not only noble, but a sustainable initiative which is in line with our environment principles for Namibia. The importance of planting trees in the Namibian environment, which is dry and hot, can never be overemphasised.”
The tree donation project is steered by Kautanevali’s personal initiative, a platform that aims to promote three pillars of action: youth empowerment, environmental awareness and community development.
The initiative boasts a number of sub-projects, including a donation of solar kits to a soup kitchen at Havana and youth mentorship for students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Further tree planting will target the northern regions and Gobabis.
The tree donation aligns with Miss Earth’s 2023 theme ‘Miss Earth Loves Trees’.
Kautanevali will represent Namibia in the Miss Earth pageant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in December.
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