Arsenal to Plant Forest in Kenya

A file image of the Emirates Stadium in London
A file image of the Emirates Stadium in London
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Arsenal Football Club (AFC) in partnership with a Non-Governmental Organisation is set to plant a forest in Kenya.

In a statement, on the Arsenal FC website, seen by Kenyans.co.ke on October 10, 2021, the English Premier League (EPL) club announced that they would plant 12,000 trees in the ‘Arsenal Forest’ in Bore, Kilifi County.

The club added that the forest will cover 12.5 acres of land in the coastal town, which is equivalent to 21 Emirate stadiums.

Women carrying trees at the Arsenal Forest in Bore, Kilifi County
Women carrying trees at the Arsenal Forest in Bore, Kilifi County
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"The publication has teamed up with CarbonLink, a not-for-profit reforestation organisation that specialises in helping communities in Kenya through consumption replacement tree-planting," Arsenal stated. 

According to the statement, the program has already employed 60 Kenyan women to undertake activities in the project.

"The planting process will also greatly help the local community, with 60 of the local women employed to propagate the seedlings in a community,” read the statement. 

The English club also stated that the project is aimed at protecting the environment through the eradication of carbon dioxide.

 "We have committed to planting these trees, using the budgetary saving made by changing the Premier League programmes," read the statement in part.

 Arsenal players including defender, Pablo Mari, have pledged to support the project by donating trees.

"I love this idea in the  AFC programme and want to get involved. I’ll add 500 trees to The Arsenal Forest! Come on green Gunners," Mari tweeted.

The 2003 EPL title winners expressed their optimism for the project, calling upon their supporters all over the world to participate in the noble task.

"Fans can therefore own a tiny piece of Arsenal over in Kenya and help to expand the Arsenal Forest so greater swathes of the region carry the Gunners’ name as well as helping the environment," read the statement.

According to the website, 100 trees cost  Ksh 15,068 (£100).

A file image of Arsenal Defender Pablo Mari.
A file image of Arsenal Defender Pablo Mari.
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