Church Plants Fruit Trees to Curb Climate Change and Revamp Food Security

By The COAST Reporter

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

The World Mission Society Church of God (General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol, hereinafter referred to as the Church of God) carried out a tree planting activity in Starehe, Nairobi, on July 22, 2026 as part of the “Forest of Hope” campaign.

Approximately 50 church volunteers, together with 30 students and teachers, planted 200 fruit trees, including mango, guava, orange, lemon, papaya, and avocado trees, around City Primary School in Ngara.

The trees were donated by members of the Church. The volunteers gathered at the school early in the morning and carried saplings, shovels, buckets, and other tools.

They dug holes in the ground, planted the saplings, and watered them to help the roots become firmly established.

A representative from the Church of God said, “We hope this tree planting activity will help improve the living environment for students and local residents, while also helping address climate change and secure a stable food supply in the long run.

We will continue to work with the local community to create a more sustainable environment.”

The Starehe Subcounty headquarters welcomed the tree planting activity with City Primary School deputy headteacher Rose Muendo expressing her gratitude to the volunteers saying, “We sincerely appreciate the Church of God and all the volunteers for planting these trees at our school. This activity will greatly contribute to creating a greener and healthier environment for our students and the surrounding community.”

The “Forest of Hope” campaign aims to conserve forest ecosystems through activities such as planting trees, removing invasive alien plants, and conducting environmental cleanups in mountains, urban forests, and other locations around the world.

In celebration of International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22) and World Environment Day (June 5), the campaign is being carried out intensively worldwide from May through August. It is part of the “Global Hope Supporters”—an initiative to bring hope to a world in crisis, which the Church of God has been carrying out since its 60th anniversary in 2024.

In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the campaign is conducted across six key areas and falls under the category of “Climate Action.”

In January, the Church of God planted 200 fruit trees around Kasarani Primary School in Nairobi. The Church also carried out environmental cleanups on Thiongo’ Road in Kangemi, Kayole Spine Road in Embakasi, and Busia Road in Kisumu, as part of efforts to create cleaner and more pleasant environments for local communities.

In May and June, the Church held the “Worldwide Blood Drive to Give Life Through the Love of the Passover” in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu to help neighbors whose lives were at risk due to blood shortages.

The World Mission Society Church of God is a global church that has been established in more than 7,800 locations across 175 countries. With 4 million members, the Church believes in God the Father and God the Mother according to the Bible and obeys the truth of the New Covenant of the early Church.

Following the teaching of Christ—“Love your neighbor as yourself”—the Church has carried out approximately 50,000 community service activities in six key areas: climate change response, poverty and hunger alleviation, educational support, health and well-being, support for creating sustainable cities, as well as peace, inclusion, and solidarity.

In recognition of its contribution to global harmony and development, the Church has received more than 6,200 awards from governments and institutions around the world.

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