A ONE-HOUR flight from Bulawayo to Harare is what it took for Glow Petroleum’s managing director Aaron Chinhara to include, within his company’s programme, an environmental policy which has seen them giving back to the community.
According to Chinhara, the bare landscape from above showed a trail of destruction which he believed, through his contribution, could be averted.
The partnership between Glow Petroleum and Forestry Commission, launched in Harare last year, will see over 20 schools across the country benefitting from and contributing to the environmental cause by planting more trees.
Chinhara said his company’s gesture was a way of giving back to the community.
“I was devastated that the country is becoming a desert because of what I could see from above during that flight on July 15 last year,” he said.
“I thought with the construction that my company is doing, there is 90 percent of vegetation we clear as we put up the food courts and other infrastructure.
“As an earner of profits coming from fuel products where there are carbons being emitted which destroy lives, we decided to get into a partnership with the Forestry Commission so that we give a little token since we are an indigenous company trying to construct at least four projects a year and are cutting down trees during that process,” Chinhara said.
“For the next 10 years, Glow Petroleum will be giving US$20 000 a year to the Forestry Commission to buy trees for schools so that we give back to our community, beautify our country and teach our children who are inheritors to grow trees because they have a monetary value.
“Since we usually plant trees and forget about them, we will give another US$5 000 to be used for competitions so that the school which nurtures the trees until they are five years old can get value from that.
“We hope this partnership with the Forestry Commission can grow for a long time.”
A capacitation budget to be drawn up by the Forestry Commission accompanied by a programme will get Glow Petroleum funding.
Glow Petroleum is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pickglow Trading (Pvt) Ltd and was founded in 2004 as an informal entity trading in fuel procurement and distribution.
The holding company has grown over the years resulting in the registration of fully fledged subsidiaries namely: Glow Petroleum (Fuel), Pickglow Mining (Mining) and Pickglow Commodity Broking.
The entity was formally registered on May 17 2007.
Schools already selected for the programme include Hama High (Midlands), Mtshabezi High (Matabeleland South), Sandringham High School (Mashonaland West), Gaza Secondary School (Manicaland), Kwenda High (Mashonaland East), Daluka Primary School (Matabeleland North), Mbare High (Harare) and Ross Camp Primary School (Bulawayo), among others.
The relationship between the Forestry Commission and Glow Petroleum started in June last year.
For Glow Petroleum, their main aim is looking at sponsoring tree planting competitions in schools, guided by the objectives of contributing to the increase of forest cover in Zimbabwe in order to help mitigate the effects of noise and air pollution, to reduce the effects of global warming and climate change in Zimbabwe as well as increase the participation of schools and schoolchildren in green initiatives.
Glow Petroleum will adopt two schools per province per year, and as the programme continues, more schools will be involved.
At least US$20 000 will be given to the Forestry Commission annually for the next five years towards this initiative.
Two schools per province will get 500 tree seedlings with 300 of these being eucalyptus, 100 indigenous and 100 fruit trees to establish a woodlot and an orchard which will act as demonstration plots for environmental studies.
To ensure sustainability, the two organisations will continuously inspect the woodlots and orchards.
Trees contribute to the environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, conserving water, preserving soil and supporting wildlife. They also provide people and animals with shelter, food and medicines.
Forestry Commission board chairperson, Rose Mukogo, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate Prince Mupazviriwo, said the Ministry welcomed the partnership.
She said the initiative would go a long way in the tree planting campaign.
“This initiative is indeed part of the greater tree planting programme being spearheaded by the Ministry,” Mukogo said.
“The tree planting exercise has a target of 15 million trees annually for the next five years and it also aims to plant five million fruit trees under the Command Agriculture programme.
“We are happy that Glow Petroleum has taken the leading step ahead of all petroleum companies to take part in tree planting.
“Fuel fumes and gases produced by vehicles need to be absorbed and trees are there to play that role by creating a sink for carbon dioxide.
“Through the ‘catch-them-young’ concept, we are pleased that Glow Petroleum has targeted schools as its entry point and the Ministry is proud to have such a friend and collaborative partner.”
The funds are meant to support the planting of 10 000 trees by 20 schools across the country.