Mr. Benard Ntajumba, known as “Ben Beauty”, is a 40-year-old environmental activist and father from Bwera, Kasese District, Uganda. He has been working with Fairventures Worldwide (FVW) as a nursery coordinator for four and a half years, driven by his passion for preserving the environment.
“I chose to work with FVW because it was focused on planting trees, which aligns with my hobby and love for conserving the environment,” Benard explains.
Before joining FVW, Benard has already spent over ten years volunteering to promote tree planting in his community. After joining Fairventures Worldwide, his dedication even inspired him to write a song to raise awareness about the importance of trees. “I wrote the song to sensitize the world about the importance of trees,” he shares.
Benard took us through his typical day as a nursery coordinator for Kasese District: “My typical day is very interesting. It involves visiting fields, planting trees, training farmers, managing nursery bed operations, writing reports, handling nursery operations, identifying farmers, mapping fields, conducting farmer field schools, coordinating nurseries, and managing line planting,” he explained.
For Benard, planting trees holds immense significance. “Trees provide food, fresh air, medicine, and pasture for animals. They also offer shade and produce carbon-sequestering benefits,” he notes.
However, working with communities comes with challenges, such as the theft of seedlings from farmers’ fields and the high demand for seedlings from smallholder farmers.
Looking ahead, Benard holds aspirations for his future “I would like to become a skilled forester and a global educator on environmental conservation,” he says.