Third-year education students from the University of Namibia's Southern Campus have donated 10 trees to Hendrik Tseib Primary School in Keetmanshoop on Friday.

The initiative aims to support biodiversity and promote a more sustainable, cleaner, and healthier school environment for learners and teachers.

Held under the theme "Growing a Greener and Cleaner Future Together", the initiative forms part of the students' Environmental Change Project, which focuses on environmental clean-ups and tree planting.

The school was selected to host the tree-planting ceremony because it is one of the newly established schools in the town.

The students initiated the project after identifying environmental challenges such as littering and poor environmental management in their communities.

The project also aims to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

A student, Ashanti Janser, explained.

"Through this project, we hope to create a cleaner, healthier, and more pleasant environment for the learners and teachers. The trees will also provide shade, support biodiversity, and contribute to a more sustainable school environment. Most importantly, we want to remind everyone that protecting our environment is everyone's responsibility. By working together, we can make a small change today."

Keetmanshoop Urban Constituency Councillor Ulrich Dawids also donated two trees to the school and urged learners and teachers to take care of them.

"Wherever there are trees, it's beautiful. It shows cleanliness and gives us energy, so we must look after the trees. We must plant them, water them, and take care of them. They are a source of hope and a source of life."

The students also donated stationery to the school for its 202 learners.

School principal Lorraine Rooi received the donation.