In an effort to add a splash of green to Cape Town, the Uthando organization has recently launched its Greenpop project, which works to plant both indigenous and fruit trees around the Cape Town community. There are currently many areas throughout Cape Town that completely lack greenery—something that Greenpop is determined to change.
Aside from the trees’ aesthetic beauty, the Greenpop team believes that adding shrubbery to the urban areas of Cape Town will facilitate community upliftment and urban and school rejuvenation. They also hope that the project will facilitate environmental awareness and education, as well as create jobs for individuals in the community. When locals come together in these community projects and are paid fair wages, they can feel a sense of unity and visualize their efforts in building a better community for all. They can feel a part of the transformation of the community that they live in, which, in turn, sparks personal fulfillment.
Image above provided by James Fernie, Executive Director for Uthando South Africa
Currently, there are three main Greenpop projects, which include Tree Planting, School Rejuvenation, and Community Tree Nurseries. Below is an outline of each of these projects to give you a better idea of the tremendous initiatives put forth by the Uthando organization:
Tree Planting: The Greenpop team travels all over Cape Town, planting trees in local school yards, community squares, orphanages, and other commonly-visited areas throughout the city. Locals and children can get involved in the planting, which helps them to learn from the Greenpop team the importance of environmental care and how to maintain a thriving environment through unity.
And thanks to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and SANBI’s educational programs, no tree will go unattended. Through these programs, individuals can learn how to take care of and nurture trees, in order to ensure that all initiatives put forth by Greenpop continue to thrive and spread.
Below is a short video that provides an insider’s look at the Greenpop initiative:
Community Nurseries: In the hopes of empowering locals to start up small businesses and facilitate employment, Greenpop created a mico-finance tree nursery project. Basically, Greenpop creates tree nurseries, and a community group or a community member owns and runs the nursery. Greenpop then offers these individuals training workshops where they learn to tend to the trees and properly care for them. Once the trees have reached an appropriate stage of development, Greenpop and other nearby groups and businesses then purchase the trees grown by these nurseries.
Image above provided by James Fernie, Executive Director for Uthando South Africa
School Rejuvenation: This is one of my favorite Greenpop projects! In a nutshell, Greenpop works to raise funds to provide schools with much-needed face lifts. Whether it’s for creating a school vegetable garden, installing rain collecting water tanks, performing property maintenance, or planting trees, the funds raised by Greenpop go to helping local schools create a great learning and social environment for students. I personally love the idea of creating a school organic vegetable garden where all of the students can come together and lend a hand in tending to the vegetables and learn about environmental care.
What are your thoughts on the efforts put forth by Uthando’s Greenpop project? And, if you haven’t already done so, please visit Uthando’s website to learn more about their initiatives.
