The changing Reactions of the Surrounding Communities

   When the Children’s Forest Program (CFP) started in Papua New Guinea in 1994, there was a sawmill near OISCA’s training center, and trailers loaded with logs were passing by.  When we called out to local people to “start planting trees before it’s too late,” the response from many people was cold. However, we focused on PR activities, including requesting the Governor of the Province to participate in the first activity and inviting newspaper reporters to write articles about it. The tree-planting volunteers from Japan also helped to expand the circle of understanding little by little. The government and society are now changing their mindset, with an 8 million tree-planting project now planned as a national project as well.