Making new forests
Terkule Aorabee
Maya Marshak
Mumuye people love trees but they cut them down for firewood. Tiv people love animals but they burn bushes to kill rats. Mambilla, Kuteb, Jenjo, and all communities in Taraba farm. Forests disappear.
Every child must learn to break the soil and plant a tree every year. As they grow and water the trees to grow along with them.
Girls and boys in the schools must learn to plant trees around the school premises. If every child plants a tree and waters it for the years they stay in school, we will build many new forests.
Parents at home and teachers at school must teach children to love and protect trees. Our lives depend on the lives of living trees.
Every teacher must teach children to read about how trees help us live longer. Trees protect our environments from strong winds. They keep away deserts and help the soil to produce more food, trees provide shelter from the harsh sun.
As the children grow and go to the university, they will understand even more that we need many trees around us to live well. The air we breathe in comes from trees and the one we breathe out is used by trees.
The more they learn, they will realize that we are in danger if we keep cutting down trees. Erosion will continue to wash away land. The sun will continue to give more heat. Winds will continue to take down houses.
They will grow up to see no trees and no animals. Even the wood to cook food will be bought from distant land. Village women will suffer to make fire and cook food. Children will be very hungry.
When we teach the children how to plant trees, they will teach their children how to plant more. The women and men in our villages will grow more trees, more food and more money. Families will be happier.
As time goes on, rivers will flow and the Lake Chad will be full. Fishermen will catch more fishes. Herdsmen will find grass and water. Farmers will water their plants. Nigeria will know peace again.
Every Mother will wear a beautiful smile and and colourful dresses. Nigeria will be a happy and healthy place to live in. Beautiful People; Beautiful environment.
Big trees grow from tiny seeds. A small tree today will be a big tree tomorrow. Small children will be big people tomorrow.Small children must plant and water small trees today.
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Making new forests
Author - Nicola Rijsdijk
Adaptation - Terkule Aorabee
Illustration - Maya Marshak
Language - English
Level - First paragraphs
© Nicola Rijsdijk, Maya Marshak, Tarryn-Anne Anderson, Bookdash.org and African Storybook Initiative 2015
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
Original source www.bookdash.org
