‘Trees for Goals’ Founder

When Lesein Mutunkei was 11 years old, he learnt about deforestation and climate change. He encouraged others to join him, going to schools and villages giving talks about his idea. Lesein made it simple so that anyone, especially young people, could take part. And if everyone played their small part, altogether, it could make a huge difference. 

Lesein decided to combine his love for football with his love for nature in a plan called ‘Trees for Goals.’ Every time Lesein scored a goal, he would plant a tree.Lesein combined his passions for sports and the outdoors by creating “Trees for Goals,” an initiative to help prevent deforestation. For his Rise project, he got football teams in Kenyan high schools to pledge to plant 11 trees for every goal they scored. So far, they have planted over 2000 indigenous and fruit trees. He hopes to scale his project, and encourage FIFA to adopt “Trees for Goals.” In 2021, he became the youngest to be included in the Top 100 African Young Conservation Leaders, and was honored as a 2020 International Eco Hero.