Absa Bank Kenya has committed to planting 100 trees for every birdie scored at the Magical Kenya Open (MKO) 2023, which began yesterday at the Muthaiga Golf Club running up to Sunday March 12.
Out of this initiative, the Bank hopes to plant and nurture at least 200,000 trees across the country during this year’s long rain season, as part of its wider agenda to plant 10 million trees in five years. The Birdies for Trees initiative, which began as Birdies for Good during the 2021 Magical Kenya Open, has raised over Ksh. 11 million for long-term community development projects and national tree planting initiatives.
A birdie is a golf score that is one stroke lower than par on a specific hole. The initiative, therefore, allows golfers competing in the prestigious international tournament the opportunity to contribute to efforts to combat climate change.
While speaking about the initiative, Charles Wokabi, Absa’s Head of Sustainability, Communications, and Corporate Relations reaffirmed the Bank’s long-standing commitment to positively impacting communities through the Birdies for Trees initiative.
“In the spirit of Africanacity, that African spirit of always finding a creative way to get things done, we have found a resourceful means to tap into the unique power of sports, such as golf, and have used it to rally our stakeholders around sustainability and climate action through this initiative,” Mr. Wokabi said.
He added: “We look forward to collaborating with more like-minded partners both in the public and private sector in amplifying this critical agenda while also raising awareness of climate change amongst our stakeholders to become more environmentally conscious and encourage them to adopt appropriate solutions to mitigate environmental impact.”
Additionally, as a further demonstration of our commitment to the important sustainability agenda, all elements of our event set-up at the Muthaiga Golf Club, where the Bank is hosting its diverse stakeholders and customers for the next four days, are sourced sustainably, either through repurposed or recycled material.
Absa Bank Kenya has sponsored this year’s Magical Kenya Open at a cost Ksh. 70 million. They have also sponsored Kenyan golfers participating in the tournament at Ksh. 2.7 million.