The Treevolutionary

Ein Europäischer Blick auf ein Baumpflanz-Projekt in Sambia: “Trees For Zambia”

Written by Treevolutionary, Leoni Hertig (Switzerland)

Ein Text von Treevolutionary Leoni Hertig aus der Schweiz

Leoni is studying Social Science and Economics at Bern Univeristy in Switzerland. She joined us for our Trees for Zambia project in Livingstone for 3 weeks and is now working in the Greenpop office until the end of August 2012.

Leoni studiert Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften an der Universität Bern in der deutschen Schweiz. Sie  war für 3 Wochen mit uns in Livingstone als Teil unseres “Trees For Zambia” Projekts und macht nun ein Praktikum mit uns in unserem Büro in Kapstadt bis Ende August diesen Jahres.

My trip to Zambia was the first one that I have made out of Europe. The culture shock wasn’t small at all. I can hardly believe the massive difference between Swiss and Zambian culture. People in Zambia are much more talkative and friendly than people in Switzerland. Zambians always look happy and are incredibly helpful but in return, everything goes very slowly, people are lazier, and punctuality is not valued as much as it is in Switzerland. I think that people in Zambia see the whole world from a completely different view as I do, especially since I have been part of such a success- and time-oriented society where everything works well. After a few days, I got used to this kind of living, and I really started to enjoy life the way that they do and got to be a part of that culture.

Meine erste Reise ausserhalb Europa führte mich nach Afrika. Drei Wochen verbrachte ich in Livingstone in Sambia mit Greenpop, einer Umwelt- und Sozialentwicklungsorganisation von Südafrika. Mit 118 Freiwilligenhelfern aus Südafrika, Belgien, Deutschland, Sambia, Uganda, USA, England und so weiter pflanzten wir 4135 Bäume in 20 verschiedenen Schulen und auf Farmen. Der Kulturschock fiel nicht gering aus! Ich kann mir kaum eine unterschiedlichere Kultur zu unserer  vorstellen.

A big difference for me was that of our living conditions in Zambia as we slept in tents in a wild camp. Some mornings wild elephants would wake us up and we would often get frightened by hippos when we had to walk to the bathroom during the night. In the night, when everything was quiet, you could hear the noise of the Victoria Falls. This amazing city in the south of Zambia was incredibly idyllic! There were so many things I loved there, but what I enjoyed the most was to see how motivated and passionate the Greenpop team were, as well as all of the volunteers who came to help plant trees and to save the planet one tree at a time. I really enjoyed the positive and optimistic attitude of everyone who was on the Trees for Zambia project and I think that this is the best way to change the world and make it a better place. I also enjoyed engaging with people from different countries and cultures! Thank you to Greenpop for this awesome adventure! Check Greenpop out and join the treevolution: www.greenpop.org

Im Gegensatz zum typischen Schweizer sind die Menschen in Sambia sehr gesprächig und freundlich, für meinen Geschmack zum Teil zu laut, sie sind fröhlich und sehr hilfsbereit, doch meistens ziemlich langsam, etwas faul und unpünktlich. Die Sambier sehen das Leben einfach aus einer ganz anderen Sicht als ich, repräsentativ  für ein typisches Glied einer funktionierenden, zeitfixierten und erfolgsorientierten Gesellschaft. Bei meiner Ankunft glaubte ich noch nicht, mich so schnell an diese Lebensart gewöhnen zu können und sogar grossen Gefallen daran zu finden. Durch die beeindruckende Motivation und Engagement  aller Freiwilligenhelfer und dem Greenpop Team, entstand eine äusserst angenehme Arbeitsatmosphäre. Wir hatten ein klares Ziel vor Augen, Livingstone zu einem grüneren Ort zu machen, welches wir ohne Zeitdruck und doch mit vollem Elan und vor allem mit viel Spass erreichen konnten.  Nicht nur die Menschen und die Arbeitsmoral waren sehr unterschiedlich, natürlich auch die Natur und die Tierwelt. Wir schliefen im Zelt in einem wilden Camp und wurden dementsprechend am Morgen von wilden Elefanten geweckt oder beim Spaziergang zum WC vor dem ins Bett gehen von Nilpferden erschreckt. In der Nacht, wenn alles still war, konnten wir das Rauschen der Viktoria Wasserfälle hören. Ziemlich idyllisch, diese wunderschöne Stadt im Süden von Sambia! Natürlich war die bezaubernde Umgebung in Livingstone nicht der einzige Grund, weshalb sich Greenpop für Livingstone als Pflanzdestination entschied. Sambia schafft es jährlich in die Top 10 der höchstens Abholzungsraten der Welt und Livingstone ist in Sambia besonders betroffen. Das Projekt „Trees for Zambia!“ war wirklich notwendig, äusserst erfolgreich und für mich ein richtiges Abenteuer! Nächstes Jahr wieder! Check it out and join the treevolution: www.greenpop.org

Cheers, Leoni

Article by: Katie Williams

“I name this tree Twiggy” squealed four-year old Anna excitedly. For Anna and her father, Anton Cartwright, Heritage Day 2011 began differently from the norm. Leaving Cape Town’s leafy southern suburbs, they headed to the under-greened community of Manenberg. The smoky-scented promise of a braai lingered in the air, but, first, a challenge: to help plant a thousand trees.

On Greenpop’s “Day of a Thousand Trees” an army of 500 volunteers descended on the proudly Manenberg community centre. Speeches, a stirring rendition of the national anthem from Red River Primary’s choir, and a unique “plant dance” had us singing, dancing, laughing, stretching and voicing our enthusiasm to get out into the community. Volunteers then dispersed to twelve locations across the township to plant indigenous trees and fruit trees.

After a short demonstration at Talfalah Primary School, team members started on the task: moving trees, mixing compost, shaking fertiliser, planting, then watering, naming and decorating the tree. Around the edge of a windswept playing field we created a border of indigenous thorn trees. The saplings were small but the effect of their presence was huge –each symbolising the care and love of its planters and hope for the future.

It was hot, tiring work, but for Anton, co-founder and coordinator of Promoting Access to Carbon Equity (PACE), one of the event’s sponsors, the day symbolised several important themes of his NGO’s work: poverty alleviation, community development, offsetting carbon emissions and bringing the carbon market to South Africa’s townships.  

“The greenhouse gases absorbed by these trees are used by companies and individuals to off-set their emissions”, explained Anton, who founded PACE to facilitate these types of transactions. “They pay for the trees and in exchange they get to claim the CO2 absorbed by the trees, but this is only a small part of a much more important exchange that involves bridging communities and investing in a shared future.”   

1,000 trees were successfully planted in Manenberg on Saturday, and volunteers celebrated with a braai, music and a speech from the minister of human settlements.  

On Sunday, we learned of the death of Wangari Muta Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the Greenbelt Movement. The news is poignant for Greenpop volunteers. In Maathai’s lifetime, 40 million trees were planted across Africa, promoting biodiversity and creating jobs, especially for women. Maathai recognised the importance of trees, in helping “to heal the land and break the cycle of poverty”, and yet somehow being so much more than that.

In the first year of its “Treevolution”, Greenpop has planted 8,000 trees. Each tree is a symbol of hope and transformation. From a fragile sapling grows a vibrant organism, giving shade, aesthetic pleasure, and even fruit.

On Saturday, joining the “Treevolution”, we realised that planting trees was not so much about the sapling, but about the community. We were joining a cross-cultural movement, offsetting carbon emissions, meeting new people, and greening an underprivileged area. And, as Anna commented while heaving her over-sized spade into the soil, we were also “having so much fun”.