The Ministry of Education launched a nationwide initiative to plant more than 202,000 fruit trees in schools across the country, as part of efforts to promote environmental conservation and improve learners' nutrition. The initiative was launched by Minister of Education Joseph Nsengimana at GS Mayange A in Bugesera District on September 13. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) in partnership with UNICEF. ALSO READ: New fruit tree initiative to help feed over 4,000 schools, conserve environment It targets 4,996 primary and secondary schools, public, government-aided and private. Each school will receive 40 fruit trees. Additionally, 232 Model Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres will each receive 10 fruit trees. Primary Four learners will lead the planting activities, supported by members of school environment clubs and supervised by teachers responsible for school feeding programmes and Cell Agronomists. The learners will also be responsible for caring for the trees, watering them and monitoring their growth to ensure their survival. Nsengimana said the initiative goes beyond planting trees, describing it as an opportunity to establish a lasting culture of environmental protection and improved child nutrition in schools. Today, we are planting trees, but more importantly, we are initiating something we want to grow into a lasting culture in our schools; a culture of caring for the environment, promoting children's nutrition and learning through practical activities, he said. The minister explained that the trees would also serve as practical teaching tools, allowing teachers to demonstrate plant growth and how the environment functions. It is a classroom in itself and a source of knowledge that teachers will use to teach learners. Students can take care of the trees, water them, observe how they grow and learn how to monitor their development. All this is knowledge that goes beyond simply caring for a tree. It is knowledge they will continue to use throughout their lives, he added. The initiative is expected to increase green spaces in schools and communities, strengthen environmental awareness among learners and encourage communities to take ownership of sustainable food systems. It will also support school feeding programmes through the potential provision of fruits, strengthen the link between nutrition and education, and contribute to climate change adaptation and carbon sequestration. UNICEF Country Representative Lieke Van de Wiel said involving children in planting and caring for trees helps them understand that protecting children's rights and securing their future is a shared responsibility. Children's rights and children are everybody's business. It is not only UNICEF, not only the government, and not even only the parents. It is really everyone, she said. She added that involving children in the initiative would help them develop a lasting sense of responsibility and ownership, which they can carry into adulthood. Van de Wiel said learners would receive guidance on how to water the trees properly, make and apply organic fertiliser and monitor their growth, with professional support available to address any challenges. She noted that some of the trees could begin bearing fruit within two to three years, allowing learners and future generations to benefit from the produce. The initiative also forms part of activities marking 40 years of UNICEF's work in Rwanda, highlighting its partnership with the government in investing in children's futures, promoting environmental sustainability and strengthening community resilience.
