30 Jan 2007, Kuala Lumpur,
She’s raring to perform at UN event in Nairobi

How many five-year-olds get to attend a United Nations event — and in Nairobi, Kenya, no less?

For tree-lover Nuha Jes Izman, it is not just wishful thinking.

She is joining 63 children from the Tree Theatre Group who will be performing at the opening ceremony of the 24th United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Governing Council Conference in Nairobi next month.

"I’m going with my family. I’m really excited and can’t wait to go. I want to make friends with the children there," she said when met at the flag-off ceremony for the group at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara.

Earlier, Nuha, who was dressed in a tree costume, stole the hearts of the audience when she sang a song about trees.

The bubbly girl and the other members of the Tree Theatre Group had put up a performance for Natural Resources and Environment Ministry deputy secretary-general Mohd Ibrahim Abu Bakar and their sponsors — UEM Group and Kualiti Alam Sdn Bhd.

The two firms contributed RM200,000 for the group’s trip to Nairobi.

The Tree Theatre Group is made up of pupils and ex-pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara. It was formed by former pupils Hana Shazwin Azizan, 15, and Jes Ebrahim Izaidin, 14. Nuha is Jes’s sister.

"You don’t see this kind of activities in other schools, which is why we keep coming back to this school," Hana said.

Hana and Jes had composed the theme song, Tears of Trees, which was played throughout the Tunza International Children’s Conference in Putrajaya last year.

The Tree Theatre Group’s drama and song at the conference drew the attention of the UNEP. The song, sung by Jes, had also been adopted as the UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign song.

UNEP has since invited the group to perform the drama and song at the Nairobi conference from Feb 5 to Feb 9.

Group member Aliesha Nadira Safirula Azli, 13, said she had helped in efforts to save fireflies, sharks and sea turtles and was looking forward to the conference in Nairobi.

"I’m going to miss five of my test papers next month, but I feel that this is a trip I’m not going to miss," she said.

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