Equity Bank Launches Nationwide 'Green Schools Programme' to Plant 200,000 Trees

Equity Bank Uganda has officially rolled out its “Equi Green Schools Programme,” a nationwide initiative dedicated to environmental restoration. In partnership with My Tree Initiative Uganda, the bank plans to plant, protect, and nurture a total of 200,000 trees by the end of 2027.

The program kicked off on September 25, 2026, at Nakanyonyi Secondary School in Mukono District, where an initial 3,500 trees were planted by partners and students.

This ambitious project will be executed in two phases. The first phase, concluding in late 2026, aims to establish 50,000 trees across 25 schools in 10 districts. The following year, an additional 150,000 trees are slated for planting, with a focus on creating school orchards. The overarching goal is to transform schools into hubs for environmental conservation and climate education.

At the launch event, Minister for Public Service, Hon. Rtd. General Katumba Wamala, lauded the partnership, emphasizing the critical need for environmental restoration and urging broader private sector involvement in combating environmental degradation.

Equity Bank Uganda’s Managing Director, Gift Shoko, highlighted the program’s core mission: to empower youth through direct participation in conservation. “This is more than a tree-planting initiative. It is a commitment to the future of our environment, our communities and, most importantly, the young people who will inherit the Uganda we build today,” Shoko stated, underscoring the importance of fostering a sense of ownership among students.

The Green Schools Programme is part of Equity Group’s larger Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan, which targets planting 35 million trees across East Africa. This initiative addresses Uganda’s declining forest cover, attributed to factors like deforestation and agricultural expansion, by integrating tree planting with vital environmental education.

This program aligns with Equity Bank’s broader sustainability agenda, which has seen significant investment in green financing and support for environmental enterprises in recent years.

Source: Nile Post