A Word from The President

Fred J Bamulutira President & Founder Greener Landscapes Inc

Born and raised in the Eastern part of Uganda, an area surrounded by water masses of Lakes Victoria and Kioga, and rivers Nile and Mpologoma, I grew up seeing green everywhere. Small brooks and streams were common and often flooded in rainy seasons. Monkeys, tortoises, frogs and other fauna were known to all.

That was decades ago. On my recent visits to Uganda, I observed far less green, and streams and brooks are no more. One can now view far due to the absence of trees which before blocked one’s line of sight. Where there were swamps before, now one sees gardens and oftentimes physical structures.

I asked some of my nephews and nieces if they knew a monkey, a tortoise, or a frog. They said they did, then went ahead to show me their pictures. They have not had a chance to see the real ones. The natural habitats for these animals have been encroached on, and more often than not, completely destroyed.

Crop seasons are no longer reliable, due to short rains and prolonged dry seasons. Destructive wind storms are common occurrences. A few weeks ago, my childhood house was torn down by a windstorm. Trees, nature’s windbreakers, have been irresponsibly cut down.  Food scarcity, even in locations where land is naturally fertile, is almost an everyday thing.

This is the current state of Uganda, Winston Churchill’s “Pearl of Africa“. No more the pearl of Churchill’s description. Travelling to Uganda’s neighbouring countries, one sees a replication of this phenomenon. The negative outcomes of deforestation and wetland encroachment are not only visible throughout the East Africa region, but are rampant all over Sub-Saharan Africa.

It is, therefore, incumbent on all of us to take corrective measures. This is the hour to join heads, hands, and feet to embark on the tasks of reforestation and wetland reclamation. Any wilful ignorance of the effects of deforestation and wetland encroachment is a perpetration of not only the status quo, but of worse to come; including speedier desertification if we don’t act. Am urging and calling upon you all to partner with Greener Landscapes Inc in effecting the critically needed change.

Sincerely

Fred J Bamulutira, MTS, MSHS
President & Founder Greener Landscapes Inc