Ganzourgou: SOMISA launches a reforestation campaign of more than 20,000 plants to green its site and surrounding villages. The Sanbrado Mining Company (SOMISA) initiated its annual reforestation campaign at its Sanbrado site. The event, chaired by the High Commissioner of Ganzourgou, Ms. Amina Sorgho Gouba, gathered administrative and customary authorities, community leaders, and technical partners under the national theme “Medicinal Plants: Sources of Health and Climate Resilience for Communities.”
According to Burkina Information Agency, the ceremony featured speeches, the presentation of certificates of recognition for distinguished contributions to reforestation, a symbolic distribution of seedlings to communities, and a guided tour of the SOMISA nursery, culminating in a planting session within the mining site. The company’s managing director, Philip Venter, stated that this year, over 20,000 seedlings of 14 species were cultivated in the company’s nursery. Of these, 15,000 will be planted on the mine site for gradual rehabilitation, while 5,000 will be distributed to schools, health centers, and public institutions.
The selected species, including Moringa oleifera, Adansonia digitata (baobab), and Acacia nilotica, were chosen in consultation with local communities and the Water and Forests technical services. Venter highlighted that from 2022 to date, SOMISA has produced over 50,000 plants of 24 species, achieving an estimated survival rate of 70% through regular monitoring.
In the 2025 campaign, 39 individuals from both SOMISA staff and local communities received training in direct seeding and reforestation techniques, with the aim of reaching an 80% survival rate. Bo©na chief Naba Baongo praised the initiative, noting its potential to green Boudry and Burkina Faso. Sayouba Sigu©, the provincial director of Water and Forests of Ganzourgou, emphasized that this campaign demonstrates the possibility of aligning mining with environmental preservation, given a sincere commitment and partnership spirit.
Sigu© also highlighted the successful collaboration between the Regional Directorate and SOMISA, formalized by a renewed partnership protocol in 2025, covering community awareness, technical support, reforestation monitoring, and capacity building. The patriotic hour to regreen Faso in Ganzourgou resulted in over a million plants being planted through collective effort.
The High Commissioner remarked that the activity reflects SOMISA’s environmental responsibility, symbolizing hope, intergenerational solidarity, and faith in the future. “Planting a tree is never a trivial gesture: it is a symbol of peace, life, and commitment to future generations,” she stated, urging all stakeholders to protect the planted seedlings to ensure the project’s success.