Church Plants Fruit Trees in Nairobi to Mark World Soil Day

By Joshua Kim

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

The World Mission Society Church of God general pastor Kim Joo-cheol, hereinafter the Church of God, planted 200 fruit trees, including mango and orange trees at Kasarani Primary School in Nairobi County on January 11, 2026 as part of its “Forest of Hope” campaign.

This campaign aims to restore and nurture forests through activities such as tree planting, removal of invasive alien plant species, and environmental cleanup in mountains, parks, and many other locations around the world.

The campaign is carried out globally in commemoration of World Soil Day (December 5) and International Mountain Day (December 11). This tree planting initiative is expected to contribute to climate change mitigation as well as to improvement of food supply through future harvests of the planted fruit trees.

A representative from the Church of God said, “Trees are green shields protecting the earth. They provide a wide range of benefits such as improving air quality, preventing landslides and droughts, securing biodiversity, and mitigating the urban heat island effect, in addition to absorbing greenhouse gases. Our members have come together with one mind to build a greener future for our planet.”

The “Forest of Hope” campaign is part of the “Global Hope Supporters”—an initiative to bring hope to the world in crisis, which the Church of God has been carrying out since its 60th anniversary in 2024.

The initiative is being carried out in many countries such as the United States, Mexico, Korea, Germany, and Australia, as well as Kenya.

In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the initiative is undertaken across six key areas, including climate change response, educational support, and building safe, resilient, and sustainable communities.

This campaign falls into the category of “Climate Action.”

“Forest of Hope” Campaign in Celebration of World Soil Day and International Mountain Day

The Church of God is a global church with over 7,800 branches in 175 countries around the world.

The Church believes in God the Father and God the Mother according to the Bible. The Church also practices love and service in many ways, following Christ’s teaching: “Love your neighbor as yourself!”

Until now, the Church has carried out over 44,000 initiatives worldwide, including environmental protection, blood donation, disaster relief, educational support, cultural Exchange, and campaigns, as part of efforts toward enhancing global harmony and development.

The Church of God has devotedly served communities through various activities, such as neighborhood assistance, environmental cleanup, tree planting, and blood donation.

The Church has helped create clean and pleasant community environments by planting trees along the Nairobi River and Tudor Creek in Mombasa as well as cleaning up Ngara Road in Nairobi, Lake Victoria in Homa Bay, Vihiga Road in Kisumu.

Last year alone, the Church held the “Worldwide Blood Drive to Give Life Through the Love of the Passover” four times, helping mitigate the national blood supply shortage across communities.

In the same year, the Church distributed food packages containing rice, mug beans, sugar, and cooking oil to 30 vulnerable households in Starehe, Nairobi, and provided motor boats and fishing nets for small-scale fishermen in Homa Bay County.

The Church also took the lead in improving the educational environment by painting murals at Homa Bay Primary School in Homa Bay County in February and installing a security fence at Kangemi High School in Nairobi in September.

In recognition of its humanitarian efforts, the Church has received over 5,400 awards from governments and institutions worldwide.

The awards include the President’s Volunteer Service Award from four successive U.S. administrations, the Presidential Citation from three successive ROK governments, the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (U.K.), Brazil’s Legislative Merit Medal, Peru’s Congressional Medal of Honor, and the Antonio Brack Egg National Environmental Award—the highest environmental recognition bestowed by the Peruvian State.