Growing Roots for the Future: JUCo YouthMappers Celebrate Earth Day with 408 Trees Planted!
- Kelvin Sospeter Manase
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
"Together, we act for the planet and for future generations."
As the world paused to reflect and act on International Earth Day 2025, one group of passionate university students in Tanzania was already in motion — hands in soil, hearts united, and minds focused on climate action. Under the powerful theme "Commemorating International Earth Day by Taking Part in a Tree Planting Campaign Aimed at Conserving Our Campus Environment and Contributing to Climate Action – SDG 13," the JUCo YouthMappers Chapter led a major afforestation campaign that not only honored the Earth but also set a bold example for youth-led environmental movements across the globe.
The Campaign: "Road to International Earth Day – JUCo YouthMappers Afforestation Management Campaign 2025"
Location: Jordan University College (JUCo), Morogoro, Tanzania
This was not just a one-campus affair. The campaign brought together YouthMappers from the chapters of three universities within the Morogoro region: JUCo, Mzumbe University, and SMCoSE. It was a powerful showcase of youth collaboration, driven by the purpose of restoring our natural environment, raising awareness, and laying the groundwork for sustainable ecosystems in a changing climate.
408 Trees, Countless Hopes
By the end of the campaign, 408 trees had been planted, transforming the JUCo campus into a beacon of green resilience. With hands dirtied and spirits lifted, staff members and students took pride in planting indigenous and ecologically beneficial trees, many of which carry local significance and long-term environmental value.
Tree Species Planted:
Mikangazi (170 trees) – 41.67%
Misedelela (149 trees) – 36.52%
Mkongo (43 trees) – 10.54%
Other mixed species (46 trees) – 12.17%
These were not just seeds in the soil — they were symbols of hope, resilience, and generational commitment to climate justice.
Youth Leadership in Action
What stood out was the remarkable gender inclusiveness in participation. The event saw strong representation from both female and male participants, with involvement tracked by appearances at the Afforestation Campaign Tree Mapping sessions, since the same individuals often participated multiple times across the 408 recorded planting instances. Female participants accounted for 208 of these appearances, or 50.98%, while male participants accounted for 200 appearances, or 49.02% of the total contribution.
This gender-equitable turnout reflects not only the power of student activism but also how climate action must be inclusive and community-driven.
Tree Health & Challenges
The report categorizes the key potential threats to the trees' growth into three groups: human activities, pests and diseases, and natural calamities, particularly drought. Follow-up monitoring showed a promising 95.1% survival rate, with 388 trees in healthy condition, while only 20 trees, or 4.9%, faced critical growth challenges. However, challenges did emerge: human activities, such as unregulated movement and infrastructure pressure, posed the greatest threat (89.46%); pests and diseases affected a small number of seedlings (8.82%); and natural challenges like drought risked damage to 1.72% of the planted trees.
These threats remind us that planting is just the beginning — nurturing and protecting these trees is a shared responsibility that will shape their survival and impact.
Meet the Campaign Partners
None of this would have been possible without strong and visionary partnerships. We proudly recognize the support and commitment of the following organizations.
Tanzania Forest Services (TFS), Mvomero Station
Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) is a semi-autonomous government executive agency that provides the legal framework for the management of forests and bee resources. This agency was the biggest changemaker of our afforestation management campaign, providing us with more than 400 tree seedlings of the species recommended by the university. The agency provided the following trees, named in local language: Mikangazi (180), Misederera (150), Mkongo (60), and Mikaratusi (20).
My Birthday Tree Organization
This is an environmental conservation group whose aim is to educate the community on practical environmental conservation by planting trees on birthday occasions. Through a strong partnership with YouthMappers in the Morogoro region, this NGO helped us develop afforestation management skills and practices. We also thank them for their efforts in ensuring we could easily access the trees needed from the TFS Mvomero Station, acting as a bridge for us thanks to their long-standing collaboration with the agency.
Jordan University College (JUCo)
As our mother institution, JUCo has been a place where we organize, collaborate, and implement most of our activities, acting as our hosting home. We thank the JUCo staff for their support. With regard to this impactful event aimed at restoring and conserving a greener JUCo for the future, they played a vital role in hosting, empowering, and enabling sustainability action on campus.
More Than a Campaign — It Is a Movement
At its core, this campaign was about more than trees. It was about youth taking ownership of their future and using grassroots action to influence national and global change. It was about saying, "We may be students today, but we are environmental leaders now."
With every seed planted, we grew our commitment. With every root secured in the ground, we grounded our hope for a greener, safer world.
What's Next?
Monitoring and nurturing the planted trees
Creating protected green zones within the campus
Hosting campus-wide environmental awareness events
Scaling the campaign to nearby communities and schools
This Earth Day has just begun. The JUCo YouthMappers Chapter is committed to continuing this work year-round, with unwavering passion.
Message to Our Fellow YouthMappers Across the Globe
Let this story inspire your chapter to act. Whether you are in a city or village, a university, or a community group, remember: every tree planted is a vote for climate justice. Let us stand together, map the way forward, and plant the change we want to see.
#EarthDay2025 #YouthMappers #JUCoYouthMappers #ActForClimate #SDG13 #PlantForThePlanet #AfforestationCampaign #YouthForTheEarth
Author's Bio
Kelvin Sospeter Manase is a Tanzanian legal professional and environmental advocate specializing in the intersection of law, community engagement, and sustainable development. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) and currently serves as a Legal Affairs and Community Engagement Intern at Geospatial Technology and Environment (GeoTE) in Morogoro, where he leads legal awareness initiatives, supports compliance and conflict resolution, and contributes to community-centered advocacy and data-driven environmental programs.
Kelvin has extensive experience in youth-led environmental and geospatial initiatives. He previously served as Chapter President of YouthMappers at Jordan University College (JUCo), where he led spatial data projects supporting rural development, infrastructure planning, and agricultural mapping using tools such as Kobo Toolbox, ODK, GPS, and GIS technologies. He also worked as Project Lead for a major university afforestation campaign that mobilized youth and stakeholders to advance climate action and campus environmental sustainability.
Kelvin's regional engagement includes participation in the Mapping Her World Campaign under the East & Southern Africa Mapping Hub, as well as involvement in Participatory GIS and Youth Mapping for Peace in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His professional interests lie in environmental law, climate governance, geospatial innovation, and youth-driven community development, where he advocates for practical, inclusive solutions that bridge policy and grassroots action. He believes that legal frameworks and youth engagement are key drivers in protecting natural resources and advancing climate justice.
This blog has been prepared by Kelvin Sospeter Manase, JUCo YouthMappers President (Alumni), in collaboration with Emmanuel Richard Mahe, YouthMappers Regional Ambassador, and Ummy Rashid Nzelemela, JUCo YouthMappers Vice President (Alumni).
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