Students have been encouraged to embrace youth service organisations such as Leo Clubs to nurture leadership skills, community service and environmental stewardship.
The call was made on Friday during the launch of the Leo Club of Bwikya Muslim Secondary School in Hoima City by the Lions Club of Hoima Albertine.
Speaking at the event, the Hoima Albertine Regional Governor, Ediga Kasigwa, who represented Lions Club Hoima Albertine president John Paddy Kiganu, urged the newly inducted members to make environmental conservation a priority by championing tree planting.
Kasigwa said environmental protection remains one of the core pillars of Lions Club International, making tree planting a key activity for the newly formed club.
"It is through initiatives such as tree planting that we can contribute to restoring the environment and creating a better future for generations to come," Kasigwa said.
The newly launched Leo Club has 42 members, including a 10-member leadership team.
Lion Barnabas Tugume, the assistant resident city commissioner for Hoima City and service chairperson of Lions Club Hoima Albertine, said the club aims to groom young people into responsible leaders through volunteer service.
"We want these young people to gain leadership experience, build networks and access opportunities that will prepare them for their future," Tugume said.
He noted that environmental degradation caused by activities such as illegal timber harvesting and charcoal burning has contributed to changing weather patterns and called on young people to take the lead in ecosystem restoration through tree planting.
According to the 2024 National State of the Environment Report by the Ministry of Water and Environment and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Uganda's forest cover has declined from 24 percent in 1990 to about 12-13 percent today.
The report attributes more than 90 percent of current forest loss to smallholder agricultural expansion and unsustainable harvesting of fuelwood and charcoal.
The report further estimates that Uganda loses more than 122,000 hectares of forest annually due to deforestation and forest degradation.
Tonney Oketi, a Lions Club member from Arua, encouraged more young people to join Leo Clubs, saying the associations promote unity, personal growth and knowledge sharing.
Bwikya Muslim Secondary School headteacher Hajji Mbuga Abdallah, who is also a member of Lions Club Hoima Albertine, praised the initiative, saying it would help prepare students for future leadership roles.
"The club will equip learners with leadership skills, business knowledge, health awareness and a spirit of environmental conservation," Mbuga said.
He added that even before the official launch, students preparing to join the club had already demonstrated improved discipline.
The newly elected Leo Club president, Peterson Angello, thanked Lions Club Hoima Albertine for establishing the club and pledged that members would uphold its values through community service.
"We remain committed to serving our communities with purpose and promoting the ideals of the Leo Club," Angello said.
The launch was marked by several community service activities, including tree planting, a free medical camp offering HIV testing, diabetes screening, cancer screening and blood donation.
Officials said the launch also served as a precursor to the Lions Club International regional meeting, which will be hosted by Lions Club Hoima Albertine in Hoima City over the weekend.
