The community of Latriya village in the Kombo North, West Coast Region last weekend embarked on a massive tree-planting exercise within and outside the perimeter of Latriya Lower Lower Basic School.
The exercise, which attracted a lot of participation by the villagers, was spearheaded by the village Alkalo Burama Darboe and a total of 92 seedlings were transplanted.
Speaking at the end of the exercise, the head master of Latriya Lower Basic School, Alieu Saine explained the his school is blessed with a sponsorship by a Dutch national.
According to him, the Dutch national has a foundation called Hands Together for The Gambia and its project started initially with a Nursery school, then to Health Post before the Lower Basic School.
While expressing gratitude to the Regional Education Directorate in Brikama for providing them with the seedlings, Saine commended the community of Latriya, the Village Development Committee and youths in particular for their response to the tree planting.
He stated that the turnout of the community to the exercise is an indication of their political commitment and concern of the villagers to the restoration of the forest cover.
Saine went on to hail the efforts of the project coordinator of Hands Together for The Gambia, whose dreams of transforming the community, he said, have become a reality.
While underscoring the importance taking good care of the trees, Saine said planting them is one thing but caring for and protecting them is also of vital importance.
He assured the community of Latriya that he will work towards making the lower basic school a model school.
“All what is needed is the cooperation of the community at the grass root level,” he stated.
For his part, Alassan Jah, project coordinator of Hands Together for The Gambia commended the youths of the community for their participation, noting that this shows that the community of Latriya are united and committed to national development.
He went on to urge them to continue with their solidarity, adding that there are more opportunities for the community of Latriya.