Children’s Forest Program(CFP)
- 5,264 schools in 36 countries and regions are participating – (as of March 2020)
CFP is the OISCA’s environmental education program. In 1980, OISCA started a forestation program. However, poverty-stricken rural communities generally preferred livelihoods development or income generation projects rather than afforestation. OISCA decided to launch an environmental education program targeting young people. In 1991, as it observed its 30th Anniversary, OISCA officially started the Children’s Forest Program, while actively implementing forestation projects.
CFP involves schools, and through schools, also parents, and communities. Children learn about trees and forests, engaging in planting trees with their teachers, parents, and community members. The children take care of the planted trees. The schools that took part in the CFP have school groves in corners of their schoolyards or near their schools. The CFP teaches the importance of trees, forests, biodiversity, and a clean environment. It involves practical work – raising seedlings, planting, setting up fences, and watering. After several years, children can enjoy the benefits that their school groves offer them. The children learn the significance of trees and get every experience related to trees.
In the CFP, children also learn and practice cleaning the environment, separating garbage, vegetable cultivation in schools, gardening in an organic method, etc. They learn about numerous life forms in forests that positively influence them during the formative years of childhood.
OISCA concluded a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity Secretariat in 2010. OISCA has been promoting Green Wave, a flagship program of the CBD Secretariat, involving CFP participating schools.
Countries and areas & Accumulated Number of Achievement
| Country | Accumulated Number since 1991 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Planted Seedlings | Area Covered (ha) | Number of schools | |
| Bangladesh | 90,124 | 71 | 233 |
| China | 202,910 | 55 | 17 |
| Cambodia | 10,230 | 15 | 45 |
| Fiji | 796,129 | 580 | 65 |
| India | 1,769,354 | 1,236 | 2,097 |
| Indonesia | 408,341 | 523 | 428 |
| Malaysia | 89,916 | 82 | 238 |
| Myanmar | 38,114 | 18 | 83 |
| Philippines | 2,935,025 | 1,096 | 1,123 |
| Papua New Guinea | 81,160 | 52 | 79 |
| Sri Lanka | 514,952 | 431 | 357 |
| Thailand | 625,146 | 421 | 220 |
| Others * | 153,284 | 112 | 279 |
| 7,714,685 | 4,692 | 5,264 | |
| Others : Argentina, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Ethiopia, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Paraguay, Taiwan, Timor Leste, Tonga, United Arab of Emirates, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam | |||
