Miss Zim Environment embarks on tree-planting exercise

Last week, they launched their tree-planting exercise in Bulawayo where they donated trees to five schools with each school receiving 20 trees.
The exercise was organised by Mbira Tours and Safaris and Cape to Cairo Pub and Restaurant in conjunction with 10 models from Miss Zimbabwe Environment and the Bulawayo City Council.
The objective of the pageant is to create ambassadors and activists of the environment in their areas, who would be practically involved in programmes that would empower the communities in preventing environmental degradation.
On Thursday, the pageant organised a workshop to teach models the importance of the environment so as to better equip them in doing their work of educating the community on environmental conservation.
Founder of the Miss Zim Environment pageant Braiton Takundwa said they went to the schools to promote the use of bio-degradable products and renewable sources of energy.
“Cleaner sources of energy are needed and we advocate for that. The Miss Zim Environment ambassadors would spearhead the awareness and educational campaigns. We want to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. That is the message we are carrying to all schools in the country,” Takundwa said.
He said the models will adopt a tree of their choice and research on that particular tree, especially its benefits to the community it grows in.
“Each model will adopt a tree and she should research on that particular tree. The trees have medicinal properties so the ambassador should know this information so that they can share the knowledge they have with the community where the tree is planted or grows,” Takundwa said.
“They should be the voice for the environment and its natural resources.”
He challenged Government and the corporate world to invest in clean sources of energy such as solar power, which some countries like America have embarked on on a major scale.
“The fact that we have the Deputy Prime minister Professor Arthur Mutambara who was head of a NASSA project shows that we in Zimbabwe have the brains to create these alternative sources of energy. Government should set aside more money for research into sciences of alternative energy.
“The corporate world should chip in and support these initiatives that Miss Zim Environment are doing in the form of sponsorship.
“This is to achieve the set goals of raising awareness and preserving the environment,” Takundwa said.
“In America, they have embarked on a major solar energy project that can provide power to 150 000 households. It is situated in the Arizona desert.”
Mbira Tours and Safaris representative Engelbert Karombo said for the sustenance of his business, there should be an environment, hence the reason they partnered with Miss Zim Environment.
He said Africa, in terms of beauty, was unrivalled and the continent attracts tourists from all corners of the world because of its scenic environment and Zimbabwe is also well endowed with natural beauty.
“My business survives on there being an environment, that is why we want to raise a generation that appreciates the importance of trees. We are going into the schools as we have seen that schoolchildren can better understand these environmental issues,” he said.
Karombo said there is a need for a concerted effort from all stakeholders in order for the environment to be preserved for future generations.
He added that everyone benefited from the environment and planting trees was one of the ways to mitigate the effects of climate change such as global warming and environmental degradation.
Deforestation has been identified as one of the main contributors to climate change in the world. Some parts of the world have experienced weather extremes in all seasons of the year. It is either extremely cold or extremely hot. In some areas such as Southern Africa, there are perennial droughts that are experienced due to the effects of climate change.
Zimbabwe has not been spared either especially the southern parts of the country that have experienced dry spells in recent years that have contributed to food security concerns for the region.
Recently in Europe there has been frost that has hit most parts of the continent, claiming over 300 lives.
Calls have been made the world over to make plans in order to reverse the effects of climate change.