Online Reporter
Sunday News Reporter
CHIEF Dakamela of Nkayi District recently saved the day for a young Bulawayo girl whose nursery of more than 20 000 trees was being threatened by water challenges after he donated a generator that the young environmentalist is now using to draw water for her trees.
Speaking to Sunday News in an interview, the young girl, who is passionate about trees and the environment in general, Simelweyinkosi Masuku (20), said she was grateful to Chief Dakamela for the timely donation.
She said the generator would go a very long way in addressing the water challenges that were causing a loss as the trees were drying up due to moisture stress.
“I can now use the generator to pump water and utilise a hosepipe to water all my trees. The labourious process of drawing water from a well using tins is a thing of the past, thanks to this kind gesture from Chief Dakamela.
“He has been very kind to me and it’s encouraging when one sees purpose in some of these projects that many people take for granted. I hope the donation will bring sustainability to my passion,” said Simelweyinkosi.
She added that water had been her biggest hurdle.
“I lost a number of my trees last year when it became unbearably hot. I drew water from a well, but it was now very far and limited, so I couldn’t water all of them at once by myself. I started giving out trees to institutions and individuals for free.
“I couldn’t just watch them dry up, but of course, they did, as some of the institutions I invited to come and collect the trees promised to do so but never did. So, I ended up painfully throwing them away,” she said.
She has so far distributed thousands of fruit trees, including mango, avocado, peach, orange, mnyii, umvee, guava and other indigenous species that are not necessarily fruit-bearing.
Apart from giving out trees to communities, institutions and individuals, she has taken the initiative to plant trees in towns, schools and various communities.
She has so far planted more than 20 000 trees and has distributed over 5 000.
Simelweyinkosi said she was using 15 litres of fuel for her watering sessions each week, which costs her approximately $30.
She appealed to other well-wishers who see value in environmental issues to assist her with planting pockets, topsoil, a proper borehole pumping system, as well as monetary support for fuel.
Chief Dakamela said he was moved by the girl’s passion for the environment.
“She has donated a lot of trees to schools, parks and even communities. She has also donated to the Dakamela community, from where our relationship was born. She wanted a solar-powered pump, but we couldn’t provide that at the moment due to the urgency of the situation.
“We then decided to give her what we could, although we could have done better. But I am pleased to report that there has been a lot of positive change in the nursery,” he said.
He added that he was touched by the fact that the girl was not receiving much if anything in return for her efforts.
“Most of her trees are simply given away for free. She donates and one wonders what benefit she gains from the project,” said Chief Dakamela.
He emphasised that it was important for young people across the country to draw inspiration from Simelweyinkosi’s act of giving back to Mother Nature through planting and reforestation.
“I would say this is a commendable hobby. It is also therapeutic and aligns with efforts to combat drug and substance abuse, as well as early child marriages and pregnancies.
“This initiative should be well promoted, encouraging NGOs, government institutions such as EMA and others to support it. It could even be developed into an income-generating project by providing support and encourage people to buy the trees to ensure sustainability,” he added.
He further stated that such activities, if incentivised through government departments responsible for them, could be a panacea to negative practices like drug and substance abuse among youths.
“Without incentives, even when they are engaged in constructive activities, young people may lack the motivation to remain committed. Therefore, we need to incentivise such initiatives. We strongly encourage NGOs and government organisations aligned with these goals to participate and contribute, whether through support or by purchasing from initiatives like Simelweyinkosi’s,” Chief Dakamela added.
He said despite her youthfulness, she has led the way as an environmental ambassador and efforts like hers deserve recognition.
