By 4:30 a.m., Divine Kobusigye, the Senior Five Mobilizer at St. Julian Secondary School, was already dressed in her neatly pressed white shirt and khaki skirt, her face lit up with anticipation. For a month, she and her classmates had been preparing for a special day — the launch of Equity Bank’s 1,000-tree planting campaign at the school.
On Monday, October 6, 2025, officials from Equity Bank arrived at St. Julian Secondary School to officially kick-start the environmental initiative. To Kobusigye, it was “a monumental day in my tenure as a mobilizer and one that the school will live to remember for our contribution to saving the environment.”
The tree-planting campaign is part of Equity Bank’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable development, aligning with its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy that integrates sustainability into the bank’s core business operations.
Speaking during the launch, Equity Bank Managing Director, Mr Gift Shoko, emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in protecting the environment.
“We are doing this so that everyone — teachers, students, and the community — is involved in protecting the environment and our future,” said Mr Shoko. “As a bank, we are providing the trees and necessary support to ensure they grow well, while the school provides the land.”
To ensure every student takes part in the project, Mr Jeff Serujongi, the school’s Director, explained that each student who plants a tree will name it after themselves and be responsible for its care.
“When a student leaves the school, they will pass on their tree to another student. It’s a living legacy that connects generations,” he said.
The initiative has been warmly received by the school’s community of over 7,000 students. Their enthusiasm was evident long before the launch — just five months earlier, the students had formed an Environmental Club to champion conservation and climate action. The school supported the idea by designating land where students could grow trees, study plant species, and experiment with sustainable agricultural practices.
Lule Adam Ronald, the Club’s Vice President and a Senior Three student, shared his excitement about the hands-on learning opportunity.
“We realised we needed to be more practical in agriculture. These trees will help us learn about conserving the environment and the dos and don’ts of sustainable practices,” he said.
The school is partnering with Agriculture for Health and Wealth Company Limited, which is implementing the project with financial support from Equity Bank. According to Mr Joseph Kafuuma, a representative of the company, the first phase focuses on trees that provide both shade and fruit.
“These trees have a dual benefit — they’re less likely to be cut down because everyone benefits when they bear fruit,” Kafuuma explained. “In the next phase, we’ll plant indigenous tree species that last longer and strengthen soil stability.”
The 1,000-tree planting drive at St. Julian Secondary School is part of Equity Bank’s broader campaign to promote environmental sustainability and community resilience — a reminder that small actions, when shared by many, can create lasting change.