As the country approaches the commemoration of Lesotho’s 200 years as a founded Nation, preparations are underway for a one-of-a-kind three-days event at the iconic Thaba-Bosiu. Plant One Tree Moshoeshoe’s Day Tree Planting and Cultural Art Exchange event will be held from the 1st to 3rd of March. A brain child of  an environmental non-profit Plant One Tree (POT), the event is set to cultivate sustainability and youth engagement.

In the spirit of the cultural exchange, the event is set to host  accomplished and tenacious political activists and entrepreneurs, brilliant designers and exceptionally talented artists from across the African continent. They will converge in Lesotho for three days of festivities, embodying the true essence of Moshoeshoe’s Day, symbolizing the unity that was achieved by Morena Moshoeshoe I, who brought together different clans and united them into one Nation. 

Traditional and indigenous foods from across the continent, live music, a fierce climate justice awareness march, passionate poetry, tree planting and cultural art exchange are just some of the things attendees can look forward to at the event, stretched from Friday till Sunday, ample amount of time for networking and multilateral engagement amongst youth, attendees, participants and other stakeholders. 

POT is a dynamic youth-centered environmental organization, dedicated to improving economic and social development of Basotho through agriculture. As the name suggests, POT is committed to planting as many trees as Lesotho can possibly accommodate in the years to come. Recognizing that 40 percent of the Nation’s population of 2.13 million being youth, POT acknowledges the importance of involving this demographic in shaping the country’s future. 

Mpho Lebesa, POT Co-Founder and Chairperson, emphasizes that beyond the festivities, the event serves as a catalyst for youth empowerment. It is her hope that by creating space for dialogue and collaboration, POT will be nurturing a network of young entrepreneurs committed to realizing the goals of Agenda 2063 “Africa We Want”. For POT, the event marks not only the celebration but the initiation of a movement propelling Lesotho into a sustainable future, aligning with the vision of, “The Lesotho We Want”, after 200 hundred years as a founded Nation. 

Siphiwe Nzima-Ts’ekhe, a multi talented artist, known as an actor, poet, writer and gender-based violence (GBV) activist, who will serve as the host for that day, expressed excitement on her social media, hoping that there will be indigenous foods for the international guests to sample from the stalls that will be there.  

Clara Mwenda,a seasoned environmental entrepreneur from Zambia, has also keenly observed the effects of climate change in our daily lives. For that reason, she looks forward to an opportunity to establish business relationships and network with the youth and the entrepreneurs, who are “playing their part in mitigating the effects of climate change,”.

It seems that this upcoming event is more than a tree planting and cultural art and food event not just to the organizers but the participants as well. To them it is a bold move towards a more vibrant, united and developed Africa. “We hope the initiative grows to be an annual celebration that will extend to all the 54 African countries and expand to other continents.” said Lebesa.