Blog
July 9th, 2010
Melissa Smith
Shout Out to Planters

First of all, I would like to dedicate this blog to Andrew, my brother-in-law who is currently pounding trees into that hard northern Canadian ground!  I wish to tell him Kushe, which is the Krio word for hello.  It means, “Greetings on your work.”
 
I am very happy to report that I have also spent this week planting trees!   In Sierra Leone, CAUSE Canada holds leadership classes for women as part of their Women’s Integral Empowerment Program.  In these classes, one of the topics that the women discuss is environmental health.  They learn about deforestation and soil erosion and the benefits of planting trees.  Then, each class receives 125 seedlings to plant in their communities. 

We kicked off the planting in Malaforia with tectunia trees.  They are a very sturdy kind of hardwood tree with broad leaves that produce a red ink.   One of the wonderful things about the treeplanting activities was that it gave the women an opportunity to show off their knowledge and skills.  All of them are experienced farmers who really understand how to cultivate and make things grow!  As we set out from the tree nursery, one of the ladies approached me with a hoe in one hand and a basket full of seedlings in the other.   “We are Kuranko”(one of the people groups in this area) she said, “This is what we know;  we know how to plant!”

On Wednesday we continued with treeplanting in a community called Kondembaia.  In addition to the tectunia trees we were able to get a few guava seedlings and some moringa trees, which have medicinal properties.  I planted alongside a woman named Damba Koroma, who planted seedlings near all of her neighbors’ houses.  She did not keep a single tree for herself.   To her neighbors who came to offer their assistance she kindly introduced me as her sister, Melissa Koroma.

Finally, on Thursday we planted trees with the women of Sulamainia.  Their community had provided a perfect area in an upland rice field for planting.   (For those of you who speak “treeplanter,” it was a cream show!)  All afternoon the women sang as they worked.  They sang in Krio about the “fine, fine plant.”  They also sang a Kuranko song about the Tubabus (white men) that had come to plant with them. 

So, from Malaforia to Prince George… cheers to all you treeplanters out there!  and Kushe!