Students from Mutima School in Ruhango District planted 16,000 as part of the ongoing ‘One Tree per Child’ campaign.The exercise was facilitated by the German State of Rhineland Palatinate. Various types of trees were planted on a five hectare piece of land.At the event, Sophie Charlotte, a representative from Rhineland Palatinate noted that under the ‘One Tree Per Child’ programme, her province in Germany intends to extend the tree planting activity to 200 schools affiliated to the state. Rhineland Palatinate, which has over 30 years of relations with Rwanda, is currently taking the lead in empowering children with environmental protection skills. Charlotte related the programme to Rwanda’s campaign against malnutrition, calling for more planting of fruit trees. The Executive Secretary of the Southern Province, Jeanne Izabiriza, urged the children to protect the trees and be exemplary in conserving the environment.The One Tree Per child Programme is expected to contribute to the global cause of fighting the effects of climate change that have had adverse effects on the whole world. The Director General of Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA), Dr. Rose Mukankomeje welcomed the campaign."We cannot achieve sustainable management of our country if children are not involved at an early stage,” she said."We have embarked on "greening schools” in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders”. The government has embarked on an ambitious plan to have 30 percent of the country covered by forests. The ‘One Tree Per Child’ programme is part of  the government’s strategy that will see all school-going children plant a tree and follow it up as it grows.