Indigenous Trees for Life, a Wildlands Conservation Trust initiative, has proved once again that not only money grows on trees, but also maize, personal care products and even clothes! This week saw “Tree-preneurs” and their families from the Dube community, outside Richards Bay, choosing from an assortment of clothing from Mr Price as part of the projects goods-for-trees bartering system.
Indigenous Trees for Life is essentially an empowerment initiative aimed at giving those with very little hope, an inkling of it, and helping green our province at the same time. The Tree-preneurs are identified through the schools as some of the most vulnerable children in the community. Many are orphaned and all live in varying degrees of poverty. A dedicated team of facilitators then teach the children to grow indigenous trees which they then plant and care for until they reach a certain height. They then sell the trees back to the Wildlands Conservation Trust, providing a direct income for the household and proving that money actually can grow on trees!
The maize, personal care products, and clothes all form part of the projects innovative bartering system, dubbed “Tree Stores”. The children are encouraged to spend their ‘currency’ wisely and the Tree Stores are a way to help channel this. The Indigenous Trees for Life Tree Store stock has largely consisted of donations from Unilever, East Coast Radio’s Toy Story Campaign, Gift of the Givers, Hillcrest Rotary, the Qhubeka initiative (an Axiz computers mobility program), and most recently a truckload full of clothes and shoes from Mr Price worth over R100, 000.
“The clothes from Mr Price are a great development for the Tree Stores” said Programme Manager Charmaine Veldman. “A lot of these children only ever get second, third or fourth generation hand-me-downs so for them to be able to trade their trees for new clothes like this is wonderful!” said Charmaine. “Although food is always a priority” says Charmaine, “the clothes will go a long way to building the self-esteem of these kids and giving them hope for a better future”.
Head of Social Investment at Mr Price, Natasja Ambrosio was “blown away” by the project. Natasja alluded to the extensive impact of the project and said: “What I love about this project is that it impacts so broadly; it addresses education, job creation, poverty alleviation and environmental issues, and nothing is just a hand-out”. “The children have put effort into growing their trees and they are being rewarded for it”, she said.
Many of the children bartered some of their trees for clothes for their family members as well. “It was very touching to see the children taking their mom’s and guardians up to choose clothes for themselves” said Natasja. “It’s amazing to see the pride in a 10 year old child who is now able to support his family” she said. “Mr Price are very proud to be part if this project”, said Natasja.
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)