The Rotary Club of Kampala City Makerere (RCMAK), launched a ‘Tree Planting Campaign’ around Makerere University on the 24th November 2012. The campaign, to be rolled out in phases, will see seventy trees planted in the initial phase.  The club first matched with a band around Makerere University, to raise more awareness before trees were planted, along University Road starting with the Makerere main gate round about. The campaign was launched by Eng. Dominic Kavutse, a Commissioner in the Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment.
“I am pleased that this rotary club has taken up tree planting to combat the effects of environmental degradation. I encourage you to sustain this project. Growing trees is like looking after a child, it keeps you hopeful all the time. Research shows that people involved in forestry live longer, because they always look forward to seeing the trees grow amidst planting new ones. Makerere University can become a centre of excellence on the environment, because you have the advantage of being in the middle of the city, and you have access to a lot of research,” he said.
He advised the Rotary Club of Kampala City Makerere to develop a road map for this long term project, and encouraged the Makerere Community to get involved in the initiative. The President of RCMAK, Narcis Rwangoga, explained that this initiative is timely.
“It is easy to be deceived by the trees we see around the university and forget that many of them have aged and sometimes fall down by themselves. But as the old trees go, it is critical that they are replaced by new ones.

By planting trees, we hope to inspire the student community in Makerere to plant trees wherever they will go after here. Rotary believes in serving the community, starting with the immediate community,” he said.
RCMAK also plan to roll out a massive cleanup in and around Makerere University, including areas like Katanga and Kikoni in the near future. This Rotary Club fellowship is held every Friday between 6:00pm – 7:00pm, at the Makerere University Senior Staff Canteen.

By Marion Alina