By Maria Mariam Namala
MPIGI – Equity Bank Uganda has partnered with My Tree Initiative to strengthen environmental conservation efforts through a tree planting campaign at Kyasanku Hill College in Mpigi District, where the school committed 1.5 acres of land for ecosystem restoration.
The exercise saw the planting of 1,500 indigenous and fruit trees, forming part of Equity Group’s wider Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP), an ambitious programme that aims to plant 35 million trees across East Africa. The initiative seeks to promote environmental protection, improve food security, enhance climate resilience, and support sustainable economic development.
My Tree Initiative, one of Uganda’s leading youth-led environmental organizations, has worked with government agencies, private companies, and local communities to promote tree planting, environmental restoration, and climate awareness across the country.
The campaign was attended by Mawokota North Member of Parliament Amelia Kyambadde, who serves as the initiative’s Chief Planter. She commended the collaboration between the private sector, schools, and communities, saying collective action is essential in addressing the effects of climate change.
Kyambadde encouraged more organizations to invest in environmental conservation programmes, noting that such partnerships can strengthen climate resilience and support sustainable development in Mpigi District and across Uganda.
Representing Equity Bank Uganda, Virginia Ssemakula, the bank’s Manager for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, said environmental sustainability remains a key part of the bank’s mission to improve lives while supporting long-term economic growth.
She explained that the bank’s tree planting programme is intended not only to increase forest cover but also to protect ecosystems, improve food production, and help communities adapt to the growing impacts of climate change. She added that schools provide an ideal setting for nurturing environmental responsibility among young people.
Bukenya Ashiraf, Team Leader of My Tree Initiative, said tree planting goes beyond environmental restoration by helping safeguard livelihoods and encouraging communities, especially young people, to take an active role in climate action.
At the host institution, Kyasanku Hill College Head Teacher Leonard Ssennyonjo welcomed the initiative, describing it as an opportunity to combine classroom learning with practical environmental conservation. He said the newly planted trees will serve as both an educational resource and a lasting contribution to the school’s environment.
The Mpigi campaign reflects growing efforts to position schools as centres for climate education by involving students in conservation activities that promote environmental stewardship from an early age.
The exercise also builds on Equity Bank Uganda’s ongoing environmental programmes across the country. Among them is the Bugisu Greening Campaign, implemented in partnership with the Umukuka wa Bugisu and the GRO Foundation, which is supported by a UGX 60 million investment to plant more than 60,000 trees across Mbale and the wider Bugisu sub-region.
The bank has also participated in restoring degraded water catchment areas in Kasese District by planting trees along riverbanks to help reduce the risk of flooding and improve environmental protection.
As East Africa continues to face the effects of climate change, initiatives such as the Mpigi tree planting campaign highlight the growing role of partnerships between financial institutions, schools, civil society organizations, and local communities in promoting sustainable development and protecting natural resources.