The FDNB (National Defense Force of Burundi) proceeded, on Thursday, June 30, 2022, to plant bamboo seedlings along part of the banks of the Kanyaru River, in the province of Ngozi. Five thousand five hundred bamboos have been planted as part of the national reforestation project, “Ewe Burundi urambaye”.
Along with the surrounding population, grassroots administrators and the governor of Ngozi province, the FDNB delegation led by Major General Marius Ngendabanka, chairman of the technical committee within the “Ewe Burundi Urambaye” project, planted 5,500 bamboo plants. This was done to replace the bamboos that had been uprooted by the population on the side of the Kanyaru river which runs along the Kidobori hill, in the Giheta zone of the Marangara commune in the province of Ngozi.
Marius Ngendabanka said they responded to the call inviting all Burundian citizens to protect the environment. “The Defense and Security Forces are also invited to protect the environment,” he said. He invited the surrounding population to protect the bamboos by maintaining them and avoiding bush fires. He also appealed to the partners of the “Ewe Burundi Urambaye” project to sensitize the population to support the activities of the project. General Major Ngendabanka mentioned that the progress of this project is at a satisfactory stage. Over 20 million trees have already been planted across the country, out of a total target of 21 million trees.
The governor of Ngozi province, Emmanuel Ntaconsanze said that the planting of bamboo along the Kanyaru River, in Ngozi province is currently at 100% of the work. Three municipalities in this province are concerned, namely Busiga, Nyamurenza and Marangara. He said tree planting on the mountains is also underway. He said that a large part of his province has already understood that protecting the environment is among the priorities. Mr. Ntaconsanze agreed with Mr. Ngendabanka by inviting the entire population to take ownership of the “Ewe Burundi urambaye” project.
As a reminder, the “Ewe Burundi urambaye” project was initiated by the government of Burundi in 2018. Scheduled for a period of seven years, this project aims to promote reforestation throughout the country.