Nashua Mobile has presented a cheque of R383,480 to Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA), bringing the total donations it has made to the environmental organisation over the past three years to more than R1million. FTFA is South Africa’s national greening social enterprise that contributes to climate change action, food security and greening.

In a drive to convert its customers to electronic billing, Nashua Mobile, in September 2008, committed to donate R10 to FTFA for every customer that opted to receive electronic rather than paper bills.

Thanks to the success of this project FTFA has already been able to plant over 7,200 trees across the nation and train and pay stipends to 126 unemployed people in disadvantaged communities. With the latest cheque, FTFA will be able to plant a further 4,261 trees throughout South Africa.

Says Tim Walter, Executive Head of Marketing at Nashua Mobile: “By converting more than 100,000 customers from paper-based to electronic billing we have already significantly reduced our carbon footprint. By donating some of the money we are saving in our shift from paper billing to FTFA, we hope to help make South Africa a much greener country.”

“As more customers continue to move away from paper-based bills, they are helping to save numerous trees and countless litres of water, as well as to reduce solid waste and toxic air pollutants,” he adds.

Jeunesse Park, Founder of FTFA, says that the funds raised through the project are being used to plant much-needed trees in degraded settlements for poor communities, helping to improve quality of landscape and life. The social, health and environmental benefits of greening are manifold.

“Trees supply oxygen, water vapour, food, shelter and fuel, and are an efficient way to offset the carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Their presence in the community is essential to human health and happiness,” Park adds.

Projects have been identified for 2,000 of the trees that FTFA will be able to plant with the latest cheque. On 18 July, 1,000 trees will be planted in Tembisa in celebration of Mandela Day.  Then, on 24 September, FTFA plans a big walk and a cycle to Soweto to plant 1,000 trees for Heritage Day.

Through the Trees for Homes Nashua Mobile Project, 2,450 trees have been planted in Cosmo City, 1,718 trees in Barberton in Mpumalanga, 570 trees in Riverlea near Soccer City, 500 trees in Orlando East, 440 trees in Mogale City, 500 trees in Rustenburg, 500 trees in Bloemfontein and 500 were planted in Waterloo in KwaZulu Natal in March 2011.

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