GO GREEN DRIVE! Equity Bank, My Tree Initiative Take Climate Battle to Mpigi
Equity Banks Virginia Ssemakula and Mawokota North MP Amelia Kyambadde planting a tree at the school
Our Reporter
Equity Bank Uganda and My Tree Initiative have strengthened their partnership to advance environmental conservation and climate resilience through a major tree planting exercise at Kyasanku Hill College in Kasanje, Mpigi District, reinforcing the Bank’s contribution to Equity Group’s ambitious target of planting 35 million trees across East Africa.
Held along the Kampala-Masaka Highway, the exercise saw Kyasanku Hill College dedicate two-acres of land for environmental restoration, with students, teachers, community leaders and partners planting a mix of indigenous and fruit tree species that will provide long-term ecological, educational and economic benefits.
The initiative forms part of Equity Bank Uganda’s sustainability agenda under the Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP), which recognizes environmental conservation as a key driver of climate resilience, food security, biodiversity protection and inclusive economic growth.
Speaking during the event, Virginia Ssemakula, Equity Bank Uganda’s Manager for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, said protecting the environment is inseparable from the Bank’s mission of transforming lives.
“At Equity Bank, we believe that transforming lives also means protecting the environment, because true prosperity can only exist on a healthy planet,” she said.
Ssemakula noted that sustainability extends beyond present-day achievements and requires responsible stewardship of natural resources for generations to come.
“Sustainability is not just about today’s progress. It is about ensuring that future generations inherit the same opportunities, resources and dignity that we enjoy today,” she said.
She added that environmental degradation and climate change are already affecting communities across the region.
“Climate change is no longer a distant threat. Floods, droughts and environmental disasters remind us every day that protecting nature is everyone’s responsibility. Our natural resources are limited, and the responsibility before us is not simply to use them, but to use them wisely and sustainably.”
Recognizing the growing role of the private sector in climate action, Ssemakula emphasized that financial institutions have an important responsibility in supporting sustainable development.
“Financial institutions have a vital role in building a sustainable economy by investing in solutions that protect the environment and secure a better future for all.”
The partnership with My Tree Initiative brings together two organizations committed to restoring Uganda’s declining forest cover while empowering communities, particularly young people, to become champions of environmental conservation.
Founded by Executive Director Enjer Ashiraf, My Tree Initiative works closely with the Ministry of Water and Environment, schools, local communities, development partners and the private sector to drive reforestation and climate awareness programmes across Uganda.
Ashiraf described tree planting as an investment in both people and the planet.
“Tree planting is not simply about restoring forests; it is about restoring hope, protecting livelihoods and securing the future of our communities. Through partnerships such as this one with Equity Bank Uganda, we are creating practical solutions to environmental challenges while empowering young people to take ownership of the climate agenda.”
Guest of Honour and Mawokota North Member of Parliament Amelia Kyambadde urged Ugandans to rethink how they value trees, noting that they represent far more than commercial timber.
“Trees are more than timber. They provide food, shelter, biodiversity, clean air and a better future for generations to come,” she said.
Kyambadde challenged the continued destruction of forests for charcoal, saying the practice threatens both livelihoods and the country’s environmental future.
“Let us stop cutting trees for charcoal. Every tree we save today is an investment in Uganda’s tomorrow.”
Reflecting on her own experience, she described trees as a source of healing and personal renewal.
“For the past five years, trees have been my therapy. Today I plant them, tomorrow I sit beneath them to read, reflect and find peace.”
She also called for a shift in public attitudes toward forests.
“A tree should not only be seen as cash waiting to be cut. Its greatest value lies in the life it sustains.”
Concluding her remarks, Kyambadde reminded participants that environmental conservation is ultimately an investment in future generations.
“The greatest wealth we can leave our children is not money, but a healthy environment. Every tree planted today is a promise of a greener tomorrow.”
The Mpigi exercise builds on Equity Bank Uganda’s expanding environmental footprint across the country. The Bank has partnered with schools, cultural institutions, environmental organizations and local governments to implement some of Uganda’s most significant private-sector-led greening initiatives.
Among them is the Bugisu Greening Campaign, implemented with the Umukuka wa Bugisu and the GRO Foundation, through which more than 60,000 trees are being planted following a UGX 60 million investment. At Busoga College Mwiri, the Bank partnered with the Kenya High Commission and Million Trees International to invest UGX 85 million in planting over 43,000 indigenous trees and establishing a 10-acre fruit orchard. Additional conservation projects have reached St. Julian High School Gayaza.
As climate change continues to threaten ecosystems, agriculture and livelihoods across East Africa, the Mpigi initiative demonstrates how partnerships between financial institutions, schools, civil society and communities can accelerate environmental restoration. For Equity Bank Uganda and My Tree Initiative, the exercise represents more than planting trees. It is a shared investment in climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods and a greener future for Uganda and the wider East African region.
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