Every day is Earth Day in Bumpeh Chiefdom, as our partner CCET-SL grows fruit trees in their own tree nursery for local planting. CCET-SL grows tens of thousands of fruit tree seedlings every year, year round, to plant in local orchards to fund children’s education. .

They’re showing they can protect the environment, be sustainable using their own resources – AND earn money to send chiefdom children to school.

CCET-SL grows orange, lime, grapefruit, African plum, cashew, avocado, guava and coconuts, all with seed they collect from locally purchased fruit.

Tree seedlings are nearing maturity to transplant in CCET-SL’s “baby orchards” when the rains start in June. These orchards will fund an education savings program for babies, providing money for their future education.

Mission of Hope: Rotifunk volunteer, left, inspects this year’s tree seedlings while visiting their hospital project.

CCET-SL also gives three fruit trees to parents of newborns to plant in their backyard gardens. They are reviving an old tradition of planting a tree when a baby is born.

Today’s new parents are learning they can produce fruit in their own backyards that can pay for their child’s welfare and education.

Tree seedlings that will be soon planted were grown with funds from a 2017 Rotary Club grant led by the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor. Sister club Rotarians, above, from Freetown, Jennifer and Theodora, made a site visit in January to inspect the project, seen here with Paramount Chief Charles Caulker, CCET-SL board chairman.

CCET-SL grows some specialty trees like African plums, left.

They sell tree seedlings to local farmers to earn income to help maintain the tree nursery and make it sustainable long term.