Resident, Kimera Govender enhances Randburg with 20 trees

To promote environmental wellness, Kimera Govender, a dedicated resident of Randburg and delegate in the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership Programme, has taken a significant step by planting 20 trees in Randburg.

Govender, a 22-year-old graduate with a BSc in Environmental Science from North-West University, decided to plant some of these trees at her former school, Rand Park High School, where she completed her secondary education.

“I was born in Springs and I’ve lived in Randburg for 12 years now with my mom, dad and older sister,” shared Govender. “Growing up I’ve always had a close connection to nature and animals.”

Govender’s journey with Miss Earth SA began by chance. “I didn’t necessarily go searching for the Miss Earth SA leadership programme,” she explained.
“I was casually scrolling through social media and found the Miss Earth SA page.” Intrigued by their initiatives, Govender began following the programme and soon realised the potential impact she could make through such a platform. “After following them for a while I got the opportunity to see the type of work associated with Miss Earth and understood that having a role such as this would benefit those around me and allow me to step into a different version of myself, the one that creates an impact and values my community through making a difference.”

This realisation led Govender to apply for the Miss Earth SA team for 2024. “It was in that moment of aligned discovery that I knew I would be sending an application form to join.”

Govender’s decision to plant trees at Rand Park High School was a heartfelt one. “I chose to take my tree-planting initiative to Rand Park High because this was where I had completed my secondary education. It was a place that I visited every day for five years and in that period I was able to learn and grow on so many different levels because of the community I had been surrounded by. It seemed only fitting to extend my initiative towards a community that had been part of that big piece in my life,” she reflected.

The principal of Rand Park High School, Alan Wilke, expressed his gratitude for Govender’s contribution. “We are very grateful for the donation of trees which complements the Grade 8 tree-planting programme at Rand Park – an initiative where a tree is planted on our campus every year by the class representatives. Greening the environment and education about the importance of planting trees will undoubtedly benefit future learners and our community.”

Govender’s efforts highlight the importance of individual contributions to addressing environmental challenges. “Some of us may believe that simply we cannot make a difference to the current environmental issues that threaten our planet and this is a misconception,” she said. “It’s the small things that we can do collectively that make the biggest impact. It can be as simple as planting a tree to stabilise carbon dioxide levels, reducing single-use plastic, recycling reusable materials, being aware of our water waste and finding ways to save water, or overall monitoring our carbon footprints and researching how the individual can contribute less to the total carbon production in our atmosphere.”

Govender’s tree-planting initiative is a testament to her belief that giving back to the community requires empathy and dedication. “It’s about sacrificing your time and dedication to a familiar cause and supporting the well-being of everyone that we may or may not interact with daily because by doing so we bring a different light to others, impacting lives and fostering connections.”

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