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Hon. Santa Okot to involve youth in tree planting drive in Aruu North

31 October 2025, 6:32 pm

GUCOFA members after being distributed palm tree seedlings by Hon. Santa Okot

By Geoffrey Okwong

Hon. Santa Okot, the Member of Parliament for Aruu North Constituency in Pader District has announced plans to involve the youth in a major tree-planting exercise scheduled for next year.

Speaking to our reporter recently, Hon. Okot revealed that a total of UGX 160 million has been earmarked through her office to support tree planting activities in Aruu North.

According to Okot, Aruu North has 65 parishes, but due to the wide distances between them, her office has adjusted the figure to 72 parishes for easier coordination and implementation.

The program, which focuses on environmental conservation, sustainability, and communityparticipation, will target 10 beneficiaries per village, each receiving 30 tree seedlings. The beneficiaries will also undergo training on proper tree management and care.

Hon. Okot explained that the initiative will start within Aruu North before extending to other parts of Pader district. She emphasized that tree distribution will be guided by seasonal patterns to ensure better growth.

“April, May, and June are the best months for distributing the first batch of seedlings, followed by July, August, and September for the next phase — though not every parish receives in the same season,” she said.

Meanwhile, David Amone, the Director of Gulalela Community Farming Association(GUCOFA), confirmed that their group has already received 4,100 tree seedlings worth UGX 2,050,000 from Hon. Okot.

Amone said the donation aligns with their Household Integrated Food Security and IncomeSustainability Project, which seeks to improve livelihoods through agriculture and environmental protection.

He also appreciated the Ministry of Agriculture, the Pader District Production Office, and ROCCO PACO for distributing 2,000 coffee seedlings worth UGX 3,000,000 to their association.

Members offloading from the truck, coffee seedlings to a safe place

GUCOFA, located in Gulalela Village, Bongtiko Sub-county, has about 500 members, including the elderly, women, and youth, all working together to promote sustainable farming practices.