Nairobi, Kenya – May 30, 2025 – In celebration of the 75th anniversary of its iconic Cristal pen, BIC has launched an environmental education initiative aimed at benefiting Kenyan students and communities. The company plans to plant 75 fruit-bearing trees across 22 schools in Kenya, symbolizing each year of the pen’s legacy.
This initiative is part of BIC’s “Writing the Future, Together” sustainable development program, which seeks to enhance the company’s societal and environmental impact. The tree-planting project is designed to foster environmental stewardship among students and provide long-term benefits to the participating schools.
“As we celebrate 75 years of the iconic BIC Cristal, we are planting seeds for the next 75+ years through this environmental legacy program,” said Paloma Lengema, General Manager at BIC East Africa. “By establishing these fruity orchards in schools across Kenya, we are contributing to environmental conservation and helping create sustainable opportunities for the communities in which we operate.”
Each tree is expected to absorb approximately 25 kilograms of CO₂ annually, totaling an estimated 41.25 tons of CO₂ sequestered per year. Once mature, the trees are projected to yield around 400 fruits each annually, amounting to approximately 660,000 fruits collectively. These fruits can serve as a source of nutrition and income for the schools and surrounding communities.
The program is implemented in partnership with Fruity Schools Africa, an organization accredited by the Kenyan Ministry of Education for tree planting in learning institutions. Schools are grouped into clusters of five per ward or sub-county to maximize the initiative’s impact. Each cluster is anticipated to create one new green job locally, resulting in up to five employment opportunities across the program.
“This partnership with BIC represents a perfect alignment of environmental stewardship and educational enhancement,” said Joseph Okoth, Director of Fruity Schools Africa. “These fruity orchards will not only contribute to carbon sequestration and environmental education but will also generate sustainable income for schools through fruit production. We are proud to work with like-minded organizations such as BIC to further support our local communities.”
This initiative underscores BIC’s commitment to education and environmental sustainability, building upon previous efforts such as school renovations and creative handwriting programs aimed at enhancing learning conditions for students in Kenya.