The group also removed shrubs and bushes, picked up litter and planted peach, grape, fig and apple trees in a significant effort to assist the non-profit organisation (NPO) who endeavors to uplift the community through various innovative programmes. 

The tree planting project is part of the 'Mother's Forest' campaign that looks to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gases. Through 'Mother's Forest', ASEZ members look to plant 7-billion trees globally, says the NPO.

The area where the trees were planted was a dumping site in the past. The Synergistic Covenant Network and Ward 71 Councillor Rene Benjamin have worked with the City of Johannesburg to transform it into a space where community members can get involved in learning more about small scale farming 

Benjamin, who also joined the group, emphasised the importance of unity in these initiatives for the benefit of the community and thanked the volunteers. "If we join forces like we are today, then the beneficiaries are the community. When you do this kind of thing you can never go wrong. Thank you so much for coming out in such large numbers to make a huge difference today here, like you do in other areas and globally. It's also great to see many young people gathered here," she says.

Centre Manager and Founder at Synergistic Covenant Network NPO, Ellery Booth, also expresses her gratitude. "A word of thanks is not sufficient. Thank you so much to the organisers and the many ASEZ volunteers that we have here today. We started this nine years ago for the community and there have been so many challenges, but I thank God that we have managed to pull through until this moment."

ASEZ is the University Student Volunteer Group from the World Mission Society Church of God that stands for, "Save the Earth from A to Z", signifying the transformative power of university students to change the world. With the belief that one person's change can transform the world, ASEZ is at the forefront of solving global challenges and engaging in volunteer activities with the heart of a mother, aiming to bring happiness to the world in crisis. ASEZ focuses its efforts on four key projects: crime reduction, climate change response, community service and emergency relief, adds the NPO.

The group collaborates with government agencies and international organisations to address urgent regional and national issues, while also hosting seminars and forums to raise community awareness. ASEZ has been honoured with various awards for its contributions to national and social development through volunteer activities. ASEZ strives to create a happy world by fulfilling responsibilities as the future generation. Just as a mother provides care and comfort where it is needed, ASEZ strives to extend that same warmth and love to neighbors and the world, especially those facing disasters and other hardships, concludes the NPO.

For more information, visit www.asezwao.org.

*Image courtesy of contributor