Plant a Tree initiated its journey on World Food Day in October 2022, focusing on soil planting with support from the Ministry of Education, which helped us identify schools for collaboration. The Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture Marine Resources, through Agriculture Officer Sharifa Ali, has also committed to educating farmers about plant diseases and prevention methods. On our launch day, we engaged 17 islands from 14 atolls, alongside 33 private individuals, 18 schools, and 9 institutions.

Now registered as an NGO under the Ministry of Youth Sports and Community Empowerment since September 22, 2023, we have transitioned from soil planting to hydroponic systems to tackle challenges such as limited space and the dual shift schedules of schools. In the past year, we have established 36 hydroponic systems across 21 islands in 11 atolls in the Maldives, including 20 schools, 8 private residences, and 1 private association. We have successfully monitored 88 harvests from these educational locations.

Building on our success with hydroponics, we are excited to introduce aeroponic systems, expanding our project to cultivate a diverse range of fruits and vegetables. In the upcoming year, we aim to cover all atolls by introducing at least one aeroponic system on each island.

In Ramadan 2023, we launched the Minheyo Tathibari Campaign to revive the tradition of sharing tiffins within our community while supporting local farmers by promoting their produce. This initiative raises awareness about nutrition and its benefits for a healthy lifestyle, creating a market for local farmers. We are also preparing a pilot project to monitor community health across various islands. Additionally, since last Ramadan, we have offered live cooking classes via Facebook and Zoom, distributing leaflets highlighting the nutritional value of vegetables and fruits, along with simple meal recipes using shared produce.