SERENGETI Breweries Limited (SBL) has joined residents and leaders in Dodoma Region to plant trees at Mirembe National Mental Health Hospital in the bid to combat aridity in country's Capital City.
The SBL Managing Director Mark Ocitti said here that the tree planting in Dodoma is the second time in less than a year and is part of the company's ongoing environmental conservation effort, which aims to plant millions of trees across the country.
"SBL's support for tree planting in Dodoma follows similar initiatives undertaken by the company across the country, including Kongwa last year, where SBL planted thousands of trees," he said.
SBL planted trees in Same and Moshi districts in 2019 to help with the effort to increase vegetation cover around Mount Kilimanjaro.
As a deliberate attempt to curb aridity and conserve the environment, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Anthony Mavunde, Mirembe National Mental Health Hospital Secretary Jackson Mjinja, government, military, and prison officials were among the officials who participated in the tree planting exercise.
The event is organised jointly by SBL and Habari Development Association (HDA), a Dodoma-based NGO.
SBL's tree planting intervention comes at a critical juncture in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at regional and international levels to combat climate change and ensure a safe and protected environment for future generations.
"SBL and our parent company, Diageo, take environmental protection seriously as a critical aspect of the success of our manufacturing process," added Ocitti.
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Deputy Agriculture Minister, Mr Mavunde praised SBL for supporting the initiative, noting that trees and plants have a special relationship with people and that human society cannot thrive without them.
He highlighted the planted area's plans, noting that it will be an exotic ecotourism space in the capital. "We are commencing our campaign together with SBL," he said
The deputy denounced indiscriminate deforestation as the primary cause of climate change, which has posed humanity with the most severe environmental challenges to date, including adverse effects on food production, water availability, wildlife, and human health.
"I believe that the entire concept of planting trees in Dodoma on Wednesday will inspire people in Dodoma and other parts of the country to plant more trees whenever possible. I also encourage other organizations to set up more initiatives to protect the environment," he said.
On his part, the Habari Development Association (HAD) General Secretary Bernard James rallied behind SBL's environmental conservation initiative while landing his organization's commitment to preserve and spread tree planting spirit in the capital.
