N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) planted 1 000 trees at low income houses in eZenzeleni settlement through Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) on Friday, 20th June. These will now add to the award winning Trees for Homes initiative that not only sequesters carbon emissions, but contributes to more sustainable human settlements.

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) is contributing an additional 60 trees along with additional resources at six schools in eZenzeleni as part of FTFAs Trees for All programme.

eZenzeleni settlement in Warden, Free State, already has approximately 13 000, mainly RDP houses; with many more being constructed to cater for a large population of shack dwellers. As this settlement expands and in the race to achieve development targets, most RDP housing beneficiaries are being tied to a future of high energy consumption that will cause local air quality problems and increase greenhouse gas concentrations.

In addition, there has been little consideration of the implementation of recreational spaces, parks and trees.

N3TC’s Andy Visser says: “We are planting 2 000 trees in Warden, situated along the N3 Toll Route with FTFA for this disadvantaged community this year. The first 1 000 for low income households in eZenzeleni in June; and the remaining 1 000 during Arbor Month in September.”

Trees for Homes enhances quality of life for low-income communities through the provision of trees to plant at their homes and Trees for All effectively greens transforms schools and other community centres, into greener, more sustainable environments. Both programmes educate beneficiaries and offset carbon emissions.

The trees provided by N3TC and DAFF will sequestrate approximately 391 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the next 40 years and they will add an additional 27 hectares of urban forest to the relatively barren Warden area.