As Rwanda prepares to plant 63 million trees as part of this year’s Tree Planting Season, the Ministry of Environment is partnering with the Rwanda Basketball Federation and Orion Basketball Club to promote environmental conservation and climate adaptation. Through the “One Shot, One Tree” campaign, Rwandans will be encouraged to join this year’s Tree Planting Season and be part of protecting our environment and building climate resilience.

As part of the One Shot, One Tree campaign, the Rwanda Basketball Federation and Orion Basketball Club will host a week-long basketball tournament, during which six teams from Rwanda, including APR BBC, REG BBC, Espoir BBC, Patriots BBC, Titans BBC and Orion BBC and two teams from Burundi, including Urunani BBC and Hippos BBC, will compete. To promote and celebrate Rwanda’s reforestation efforts, one tree will be planted for every point scored.

“Rwanda is working hard to protect and conserve our forests and this journey requires everyone to be on board. We are pleased to partner with the basketball community to raise awareness of the benefits of tree planting and encourage all Rwandans to be part of building a green and climate resilient future. This is just the start and we look forward to doing more together,” said Dr Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, Rwanda’s Minister of Environment.

The One Shot, One Tree campaign aims to harness the power of sport and partner with communities across Rwanda to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change and encourage Rwandans to plant as many trees as possible. The tournament will take place at the BK Arena from 5-12 November 2023. 

“Climate change is affecting everyone and so we can all do something about it. Let's combine our efforts and plant trees for current and for future generations to live in a safer and healthier environment,” said James Mutabazi, President of Orion Basketball Club.

“The One Shot, One Tree campaign exemplifies the power of sport to drive positive change. With each basket made, we’ll plant a tree, symbolising our commitment to sustainability, community, and the future. Together, we're not just scoring points, we're scoring for the planet." said Désiré Mugwiza, President of Rwanda Basketball Federation.

About Rwanda’s Forests

Rwanda’s efforts to protect existing forests and reforestation have led to 30.4% of the country being covered with forests, equivalent to 724,695 hectares. These areas play an important role in mitigating Rwanda’s contribution to climate change. 

The country was one of the first countries to sign-on to the Bonn Challenge, a global effort to bring 350 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2030. Under the challenge, Rwanda has committed to border to border landscape restoration.

To protect the country’s forests, the Government of Rwanda encourages citizens to use less wood and charcoal and explore alternative sources of energy such as biogas, gas and electricity. Learn more about Rwanda’s efforts to protect and restore forests at www.rfa.rw.