‘Tree-preneurs’ are unskilled individuals in poverty-stricken areas who are given an opportunity to improve their living conditions by growing and bartering indigenous trees in return for items such as food, building materials, bicycles, solar panels and rain water harvesting tanks.
The brightFuture sustainable living campaign is an initiative of Unilever South Africa, and the Wildlands Conservation Trust. Together the partners plan to plant one million indigenous trees in selected areas across SA over the next three years.
According to a statement, the trees planted by the ‘tree-preneurs’ will help to reduce deforestation and alleviate flash flooding due to forest degradation. The project will also contribute to increasing tree stocks in local agricultural landscapes.
Members of the public can participate in this campaign. For every pledge or tweet received, Unilever will plant one tree on behalf of that person.
Pledges can be made at www.brightfuture.unilever.co.za and tweets should be addressed to @UnileverSA, #TweetForATree and #brightFutureSA.
