kulula raised the funds via its Project Green Programme, which aims to combat the atmospheric carbon loads and greenhouses gases released by its aircraft.
kulula head of marketing, Heidi Brauer, handed over the cheque at a special event at the Food & Trees for Africa head office in Johannesburg.
The funds will go towards the Trees for Homes and Bamboo for Africa programmes, which are both registered for voluntary carbon offset under the Carbon Protocol of South Africa.
Launched in 2000 to address the environmental degradation caused by apartheid settlement policies, Trees for Homes is currently the only programme of its kind in South Africa. "Many of these settlements are smoggy, barren wastelands," says FTFA Founder Jeunesse Park. "Our aim is to develop sustainable settlements by giving low-income communities trees to plant at their homes."
Bamboo for Africa is a new programme which introduces bamboo cultivation to disadvantaged communities across South Africa. "We're already starting to see how this programme is changing lives and creating healthier, more sustainable communities across the region," comments Park.
In addition to offsetting carbon emissions - the main cause of global warming - planting trees and bamboo uplifts communities in a number of ways, explains Park, including improving water and soil quality and food security. "There are also opportunities for income generation and enterprise development, which further uplifts these poverty-stricken areas," she continues.
Both projects have a strong awareness-building focus and provide communities with training and education on environmental practices.
"We're thrilled to partner with Food & Trees for Africa. These much-needed funds will be used to plant trees and bamboo in rural communities throughout South Africa, offsetting carbon emissions, increasing biodiversity, conserving the natural ecosystem and giving disadvantaged kids a healthy environment to grow up in," says Brauer. "We want to say thank you to all our fans who opened their hearts - and pockets - to support this worthy cause."
