KOTA KINABALU: Kelab Belia Prihatin (KBP) is aiming to plant at least 2,200 trees at children's preschools (tabika) under the Community Development Department (Kemas) nationwide.
There will be 5,500 volunteers and 11,000 children aged 4 to 6 involved in the year-long event.
Its president Luqman Hakim Md Zim said the programme known as the We Be-Leaf Together initiative will address nutrition deficiency among children and deliver the message of climate change.
"Based on a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) report, one in three Malaysian kids are having stunted growth."
He said the act of planting trees augured well with the message to impart good nutrition habits.
"We choose trees that can bear different types of fruits with vitamins and fibres, so that children can harvest it for them to eat," he said, adding the club chose Tabika as the children come from around neighbourhood and most are from the B40 income groups.
Luqman was speaking to reporters after Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan launched the initiative at Taman Jumbo Tabika here.
By planning trees, he said the club will be achieving its environmental and climate change missions as those 2,200 trees could absorb 55,000kg of carbon dioxide (Co2) per year.
In addition to tree planting activities, the We Be-Leaf Together initiative will also involve chidlren through the activity of recycling used bottles to be made as a piggy banks.
Sabah is selected as the first state to implement the initiative with the involvement of 200 children who will plant 156 local fruit trees at three preschools here.
Earlier, Jeffrey, who is Sabah Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, contributed RM10,000 for the implementation of the initiative.