Church donates 74,000 fruit tree seedlings to Dodoma region of Tanzania
Dec 2, 2022, 3:40 PM | Updated: 3:43 pm
Dodoma City Commissioner Shekimweri and FEET director Benard Mwanawile in Dodoma Tanzania 16 Nov 2022. (Intellectual Reserve, Inc.)
(Intellectual Reserve, Inc.)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated 74,000 fruit tree seedlings to the Dodoma region of Tanzania, and local leaders are thanking them for it.
“Our partnership with the Church will boost lives in terms of food, the environment, and economic conditions,” said the Honorable Rosemary Senyamule, commissioner of the Dodoma region of Tanzania.
Juventinus Rubona, president of the Dar es Salaam Tanzania District, represented the Church at the event in November, according to a news release from the Church.
“He thanked the Tanzanian government for allowing freedom of worship and reiterated the Church’s ongoing humanitarian support in the areas of health, education, food security, and water supply,” the release stated.
Of the 74,000 fruit tree seedlings:
- 21,600 were avocado
- 30,800 were mangos
- 10,000 were lemons
- 5,100 were oranges
- 6,500 were guava
Those seedlings, according to the release, will be planted at schools, hospitals, and homes of needy families at seven locations across the Dodoma region. They will also be used to beautify town squares and provide shade for pedestrians.
“The 74,000 trees will benefit a lot of children by improving their nutrition, which will lead to increased school attendance. The trees will also improve their families’ economic conditions and beautify their neighborhoods,” Dr. Fatuma Mganga — regional administrative secretary for the Dodoma region — said at the MOU signing event on Nov. 14.
According to the release, the Church is collaborating with Dodoma government officials, as well as the Foundation for the Educational and Environmental Advancement of Tanzanians (FEET), to manage the local distribution, planting, and care of the fruit trees.
“This is the first tranche of 130,000 fruit tree seedlings that The Church of Jesus Christ will donate in the districts of Arusha, at the foot of Africa’s tallest peak Mount Kilimanjaro, and Dar es Salaam, the country’s largest business and population center, in addition to Dodoma, the nation’s official capital,” the release stated.
