African Youth Pledge to Replicate Ethiopia’s Green Legacy

Addis Ababa July 14/2022/ENA/ Participants of the 2022 African Youth Conference for Peace Program commended Ethiopia’s environmental protection measures and pledged to replicate Green Legacy in their respective countries.

Some participants of the conference and members of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) planted trees in the Gullele Botanic Garden today.

The Ugandan youth, Nkakaire Anthony, who participated in this fourth round Green Legacy campaign told ENA that he did not know the initiative was in such a grand scale and was overwhelmed to see it in person.

Having a green belt in Africa will help not only Africa but also the entire world, he noted, adding that “I am so happy that I am part of something big in Ethiopia and in Africa as a whole.”

“I have really learned a lot from Ethiopia, but one of the biggest lessons I am taking back home is ensuring every youth out there preaches the gospel of planting trees in the compound, community, district, city and village,” the Ugandan vowed.

Anthony stated that he believes that Africans should start teaching the young generation as far as the elementary school in protecting the environment. “This is because the future of Africa is determined by what is happening in the current generation.”

The Burundian youth, Blandine Niyongere said that being part of the Ethiopian Green Legacy can help the youth to come together for everything, besides environmental protection.

“African countries should learn that the trees we have are not enough and we should add. As climate change and pollution is a problem, it is a kind of preserving nature and the land. We need trees to protect the environment so that tomorrow we do not regret having destroyed our land. So we need this legacy to go over and over around generations,” she elaborated.

Through the Green Legacy campaign, Ethiopia has planted tree seedlings in billions during the past three years.