GoldStar Insurance Company Limited has partnered with My Tree Initiative Uganda and five Rotary Clubs to plant 150 indigenous shade and fruit trees at Kira Primary School in Kira Municipality, Wakiso district, as part of its environmental conservation campaign marking the insurer’s 30th anniversary.
The exercise, held last week, brought together GoldStar staff, pupils and members of the Rotary Clubs of Namugongo, Bukerere, Bweyogerere Central, Kyambogo and Kira under the project, Planting and Protecting Trees in Schools Across Kira Municipality.
The initiative forms part of GoldStar’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme under its 30th anniversary theme, “30 Years. One Promise.”
During the exercise, participants planted high-yield fruit trees, including avocado, mango, guava and jackfruit, alongside indigenous shade species such as Mugavu, Musambya, Ensaali and Entasesa.
More than 391 pupils also received practical training in tree planting, watering and maintenance from My Tree Initiative Uganda field teams. The school’s Environmental Club has since been assigned different tree zones to oversee their daily care.
According to the organisers, the fruit trees are expected to begin supplementing school meals within the next 24 to 36 months, while the indigenous shade trees will help curb soil erosion, reduce flooding around classrooms during heavy rains and improve the school’s environment.
Once mature, the trees are projected to absorb about three metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, contributing to climate change mitigation efforts.
Enock Mudadi, chief operations officer of GoldStar Insurance, said the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to protecting communities beyond providing insurance services.
“For thirty years, GoldStar has stood with Ugandans through storms, fires, floods and uncertainty. Insurance is, at its heart, a promise about the future—and there is no more honest way to invest in the future than to plant a tree with a child and commit to seeing it grow. These 150 trees are our promise to this community, planted in the ground,” Mudadi said.
He added that the company hopes to nurture a lasting culture of environmental stewardship among young people.
“We did not come to Kira Primary School only to plant trees; we came to plant a culture of stewardship. As we mark thirty years, our commitment is unchanged: we will keep protecting Ugandans, their families and their businesses for the next thirty years and beyond,” he said.
The project will now move into its second phase, during which My Tree Initiative Uganda will undertake routine maintenance, monitor tree survival rates, carry out GPS mapping of the planted sites and conduct regular follow-up visits in partnership with the school and the surrounding community.
GoldStar Insurance also donated branded school bags, T-shirts and learning materials to participating pupils in recognition of their role as custodians of the newly planted trees.