By BRIAN HATYOKA –

GREENPOP, a social enterprise that aims to promote sustainable lifestyle choices through tree planting and other eco-activations, has planted 3,683 trees in various parts of Livingstone over the last three weeks.
Last year, Greenpop planted 3,358 trees over a period of 21 days at 16 schools, one women’s group, one church, and on a community farm in Livingstone.
Greenpop Reach coordinator Will McAneny said 137 volunteers from around the world joined hundreds of local volunteers in Livingstone to help plant the trees at 24 beneficiary sites to promote a green and sustainable environment.
In a press statement released yesterday, Mr McAneny said Greenpop also facilitated six participation projects, at which two eco-benches were constructed.
Further, five murals and two classrooms were painted at Libala Primary School while one photo exhibition was hosted after a three-week photo workshop.
Between 15 June and 6 July 2014, Greenpop hosted the Trees for Zambia Festival of Action in Livingstone.
This festival brought people together to boost the ongoing environmental project that runs in Livingstone throughout the year, directed by Benjamin Mibenge, Greenpop’s director of trees in Zambia.
Greenpop promotes alternative energy solutions, facilitate environmental education, and facilitate the generation of locally driven solutions to the country’s deforestation problem.
Zambia has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, an issue that encompasses many stakeholders and various factors.