The Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM) mobilised its staff and member churches in a joint effort to green the land of Madagascar with a reforestation activity in Andanona on 25 January.
Andanona, a mountainous area northeast of the capital, Antananarivo, is owned by the FJKM and is a site that suffers regularly from bushfires. In fact, tree planting is carried out annually by the executive staff of the FJKM since the reforestation campaign was kickstarted by the government. It usually takes place during the rainy season, from December till March.
The event, organised in alignment with FJKM’s objective set between 2021 to 2025 to enable green churches and green schools also served to cement FJKM’s vision to be a strong church in its witness within the nation, to be the salt and the light of the world, and to bring together FJKM schools, branches, and synods to work collectively towards the nation’s ecological health and sustainability.
In his message commending the tree-planting campaign, Rev. Dr Jaona Rakotonindrainy, FJKM General Secretary, said: “[The event is] Giving glory to God the Creator of heaven and earth, spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and generating hope for a new life.”
Meanwhile, the Fruits, Vegetables and Environmental Education Programme (MFEE), a project implemented within the FJKM, also provides churches and schools with top quality seedlings to plant either for the reforestation activities or for the beauty of their premises.
“The FJKM is confident that evangelism is not only preaching God’s words to lead people to heaven but also to make them live already the goodness of God here on earth,” declared FJKM President Rev. Dr Irako Andriamahazosoa Ammi, who also highlighted that, through MFEE, every synod now has trained technicians to help with tree planting and reforestation.