A Planet Aid-supported tree planting initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo has won the prestigious Energy Globe Award, which honors projects that conserve resources or utilize renewable or emission-free sources.
HPP-Congo launched the green initiative in 2013 with the ultimate goal of planting 1 million trees in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 60 staff members and volunteers tasked with carrying out the project have already planted 380,000 trees in the Kinshasa, Bas-Congo, and Équateur provinces.
The Energy Globe Award is presented annually to one environmental project in each of the 177 participating countries, and HPP-Congo was selected for its achievements among more than 1,500 total project entries.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the second largest tropical rainforested-area in the world, but increased logging and agriculture activity has resulted in deforestation of the region.
HPP-Congo plans to plant 40,000 more trees in the municipality of Mbankana with the help of students and graduates from HPP-Congo's teacher training college. These current and future teachers are being taught how to integrate environmental protection lessons into the curriculum in 17 primary schools throughout the region.