Environmental education is a key component when it comes to protecting the rainforests and our climate. That is why we have produced the children’s picture-reading-learning book “Fatu and the Magic Tree”, co-financed by the “Bingo!” environmental lottery.
Now illustrator Marion von Oppeln was able to attend one of the first lessons – and was visibly moved. The children in Year 5 at the African Muslim Agency School were very enthusiastic about the story and the principal is keen to plant trees on the school grounds at the start of the rainy season (we will also be happy to help with various seedlings). Everyone now wants to emulate Fatu!
We were able to bring 10,000 copies to the north of Sierra Leone. And after the rousing lessons of our own teachers, these children will continue to tell the story in their families. After a year, Fatu and her little brother Saidu will have reached more than 100,000 people!
Just how impressed the children were by the story and the pictures became clear the same evening when a little girl stood on our terrace with her own Fatu book. She wanted to thank us on behalf of her entire class for this wonderful gift. We held back our tears until she had disappeared into the darkness.
In our West African forest nursery, we grow many thousands of future rainforest giants every year, from more than 30 different species. That is impressive. But seeing the new tree protectors inside was even better than watching their future protégés grow! 