29 Mar 2018
A paper pen carrying a seed at its rear end can be sown to make it grow into a tree.
This unique concept of growing a tree out of a pen will be inaugurated by actor Mammootty at Village International School, Thodupuzha, on World Environment Day on Sunday. He will also lead children in taking a pledge to protect the environment.
The project titled ‘EnTree’ (‘My Tree’ in Malayalam and ‘Entry to green living’ in English) is promoted by Pure Living, an organisation that propagates eco-friendly products.The concept of EnTree involves associating a child with the seed of a tree through a pen that they can sow after use. Each pen carries at its rear end the seed of Agasthya tree. Scientifically called Sesbania grandiflora , it is a small but fast-growing tree with immense medicinal properties.
Paper pens called ‘With Love’ (Vithu is seed in Malayalam) will be distributed to more than 500 children in the school as well as others who participate in the event. More than a lakh paper pens will be distributed over a year under the project.
“The concept also takes into account children’s emotional connect with pens, and it will prompt them to care for trees,” said Lakshmi N. Menon, director, Pure Living.
“Love pens are also aimed at familiarising children with the vernacular language. At a time when Malayalam is spoken, read, and written by less number of children, paper with Malayalam script will be used to make the pen,” she said.
The EnTree project also aims at alerting people to the hazards of diminishing forest cover and the need to minimise plastic use. Paper pens made of recycled waste paper are manufactured by a group of women engaged by Pure Living. Paper pens will also be distributed to children affected by endosulfan. R.K. Das, managing director, TVIS, will gift the pens to children. Under ‘EnTree’ project, each child will be given a pen with seed at its end to be sown after use
