The Sunday Mail
IN this week’s edition of our Go Green Campaign, we produce excerpts of an interview between our Senior Reporter TENDAI CHARA (TC) and Patience Fusire (PF) of Friends of the Environment.
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TC: Who are Friends of the Environment and what is your mandate?
PF: Friends of the Environment is a department within the Nyaradzo Group. It was started in 2010 in an effort to fight deforestation and we were mostly focusing on planting trees in rural areas. Along the way, we realised that, to make our project more sustainable, we had to introduce the planting of fruit trees, even in towns and cities.
Planting of fruit trees would then encourage those who benefit from the trees not to tire because, at the end of the day, they will also enjoy the fruits that come with looking after them. The fruit trees mitigate the effects of climate change. Note that whenever there is a drought, trees give more fruit, so, if we then have more fruit trees planted, it means that we will not suffer as much because we would then enjoy the fruits, even when the crops would have failed.
TC: Are you also encouraging corporates to plant fruit trees at their workstations?
PF: Yes, definitely! We are encouraging companies to plant more fruit trees at their premises. Apart from fruit trees, we are also encouraging corporates to plant wood energy trees such as the Kenya Croton and the gum tree. On road verges, companies can also even plant big trees such as red mahogany. We planted such trees at our Simon Mazorodze branch.
TC: What else have you planted at the Simon Mazorodze branch?
PF: We have a line of acacias. This is more of a decorative tree that is indigenous to Zimbabwe. We planted the trees both inside and outside our boundary wall. We planted the fruit trees outside the walls so that those who come to our offices for business can pick up the fruits and help themselves when they are hungry.
TC: What are the other advantages of planting trees at company premises?
PF: There are many advantages. One of them is that plants beautify the workplace. Planting trees also adds aesthetic value to buildings. Unlike buildings with bare concrete and brick, greened buildings have an attractive softscape. Also, trees and other plants produce oxygen. There is also the protection of property and workers as vegetation captures dust and other dirty particles, thereby cleaning the air. Plants also form windbreaks that protect buildings.
TC: Can you tell us about the Nyaradzo and Zimpapers environment awareness initiative?
PF: Before this initiative, the Friends of the Environment programme mostly concentrated on planting trees in rural areas. The land is available in rural areas and our efforts were more on fighting deforestation. In this initiative with Zimpapers, we are focusing on greening towns and cities, starting with Harare. We want to bring back the “Sunshine City” status to Harare.
To achieve this, we decided to start by greening our own premises so that other companies can take a leaf from that.
I am confident that the example that we set is going to inspire other organisations. Planting trees at the workplace can result in workers having an active interest in planting trees at their own homes.
In other words, we would want to take this initiative from the workplace to the home. I am hoping that within the next five years, we will have replaced the old trees and planted newer, more vibrant ones. We would want to plant as many indigenous trees as we can.
TC: How has the public responded to the initiative when they visit your offices?
PF: The response from visitors has been pleasing. We are having some enquiries from other organisations that are interested in making their road verges look like ours.
Trees do not grow as fast as flowers and shrubs, and there is need for patience.
The positive responses that we are getting now are coming two years after we planted the trees.
