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Recently, Gareth Amos, Managing Director of Interact Namibia and Stephan McGuire, a Film Producer with Tree Media, President of CSAfrica and newly appointed Executive Director of GAWA, met Namibian officials Hon Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Minister of Environment & Tourism, Mr. Teosilus Nghitila, Director for Environmental Affairs, Minister of Information & Broadcasting Hon Joel Kaapanda, Minister of Education, Hon Nangolo Mbumba and the US Ambassador to Namibia, Dennise Mathieu, to officially mandate all 43 public schools in the capital of Windhoek as “Green Zones”.
Decided upon all is to have a first phase of citrus Tree plantings throughout the capital city of Windhoek’s school system.
First round of funding is with The Diamond Trade Company of London as they are sponsoring trees for 2 schools here in the capital city of Windhoek. The Namibian Diamond Trade Company have agreed to sponsor 2 schools. The Wild Nursery here is matching these sponsorships. The USA based GO Campaign has taken up the opportunity to sponsor 10 schools.
All needed resources will be provided for locally including personnel, equipment and support. Adding Green Collar jobs to the employment sector, our GREEN ZONE Schools Team will monitor and evaluate all participating schools on a quarterly basis to ensure project management, quality control, health
of the trees and once the trees are baring fruit, that the fruits are looked after and a local retail market has been arranged for the selling of the fruits into the local market.
Here at GAWA, we believe that providing training and low-cost, gardening resources like manure, seeds, tools, and organic pest control will ensure the success of this project. Citrus fruits to supplement the diet, improve healthy food consciousness and nutritional security, while provide sustainable additional income is a win win proposition for the city of Windhoek. The personal satisfaction, community building, and heightened self-esteem that come from growing food are added benefits. Imagine as well as 10 years from now students returning to their home town schools find orange groves that they themselves planted. These trees will surely be gifts that keep on growing!
We thank The DTC, NDTC and the GO Campaign for taking time to share our vision and dream and we look forward to a fruitful partnership, (pun intended)
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