Children planting lakhs of trees for Licypriya's birthday

New Delhi, 4th October , 2020

Children planting lakhs of trees for Licypriya's birthday :: 2nd October 2020

“Licypriya Effect”? Children are planting lakhs of trees across the country for her birthday.

Couple of days back, Nine-Years-Old Indian Climate Activist Licypriya Kangujam had appealed to the people to plant one tree each for her birthday on 2nd October to make our planet green again in her twitter and facebook.

As a positive impact of her voice, a large number of children and people came out to plant trees as a gift for her birthday and are still counting. So far, it has planted more than 240,000 (Two Lakhs Forty Thousands trees) across India and various parts of the World. Is it going to be Licypriya’s Effect of her power to change the World? Many say it’s a “Licypriya Effect”.

Thousands of Children of Dubai, Lucknow, Mumbai and various communities of her birthplace - Manipur turned out to plant thousands of trees on this day. Other states like Odisha, Assam, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and other states also celebrated her birthday by planting trees and people still continue to plant trees even after her birthday.

Countries like Bhutan, Bangladesh, UAE, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Kenya, Uganda, USA, Germany, Russia, China & Japan also celebrated this day. Now she aims to reach one million trees by the end of 2020.

"We had crossed 240,000 trees today because one environmental organization called Sustainable Green Initiative Foundation planted over 200,000 fruit trees for her birthday at Bundelkhand, a small village in the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. We're very grateful to Raj Mohan Sir, Founder of SGIF for this big support. He also still continues to plant 150,000 more trees to reach a total 3,50,000 trees. We're raising funds for it now to plant more trees" said 12-years-old Climate Activist Aarav Seth from Ghaziabad, UP.

"We chose to plant fruit trees because fruit trees can change lives especially poor farmers by supporting their livelihoods with additional income by selling those fruits after they grow up. Such initiative will help in fighting hunger and to uplift poverty", he added

Children planting lakhs of trees for Licypriya's birthday :: 2nd October 2020

Asha Alexander, Principal of Dubai based GEMs School said in her twitter, "We have planted more than 15,000 trees for Licypriya's birthday across UAE under the school initiative "Plant a Legacy '' by dedicating to her. We really appreciate and support the efforts taken by her to save their own children's future from global climate change. Such climate actions we needed instead of just telling the stories. We should continue such a legacy as a long term impact".

"We will continue her movement by planting trees with school children every week across India and other countries of the World by celebrating Monday as “Monday for Mother Nature” to make our planet green again. This is a great noble cause so we will support it", said 14-years-old Amanya Kamboj from Chandigarh.

Initially we had planned to plant only a few trees on her birthday as a gift as she appealed on her twitter to plant trees instead of giving her just birthday wishes to make a difference but today we crossed over 240,000 trees because of the love and support of the people to her", she added.

Speaking to the media, Licypriya said, "I will pick up 2-3 schools every week for this initiative “Monday for Mother Nature” from any part of India or the World to continue this legacy of planting trees with school children. This is the time to give back to nature. Children can play a crucial role in saving our dying planet by fighting climate change from the grassroots. Only Children can save the World."

"We will continue to plant trees by targeting a minimum one million trees by 31st December 2020. Many people told me that I am too young to get involved in such activism but I prove to them that age doesn't matter to make a difference. We should continue such a legacy by planting trees on everyone's birthday to make our environment green again and to develop the minds of living with nature by safeguarding them."

"I especially thanks to all the children, their parents and people of age groups and all the schools, local clubs and organizations who came out to plant trees on my birthday to bring a change in this World. I also would like to thank “Pandam” and “Sangai Express” for amplifying my voice. Such efforts give a great message to our society by creating environmental consciousness and the feelings of living together with nature without harming them", she added.

Children planting lakhs of trees for Licypriya's birthday :: 2nd October 2020

She also stated that, “We should take protest on the street as a last option when our leaders don’t listen to our voice but at the same time, we also should take climate actions by either planting trees or stop using single used plastics at our home. It’s not the time to wait only for our leaders to take climate action. People have a larger responsibility”.

It can be noted that India is the third highest carbon emitter in the World after China and the USA. Such efforts of a tiny girl will help India and the World in reducing our carbon footprints and also livelihood to many poor farmers. We need to appreciate and support such initiative.

As trees grow, they help stop climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air, storing carbon in the trees and soil, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. Thus, planting trees, cutting emissions and changing our behavior are the ultimate solution to the global climate crisis.

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Twitter: @LicypriyaK
Facebook: @Licypriya4Planet