Banking on healthy forests

Gogo Christina Mpinganjira recalls her youthful days when she used to collect wild mushrooms and see wild animals in Dedza District’s Seven Hills.

Those were the days when Kapirimutu, Nthunzi, Mchenga, Ntcheu, Mwasadzu and Chipendeko had a thick green cover.

Over the years, surrounding communities have plundered them for charcoal, firewood, construction materials and new farmlands.

The sorry state of the Seven Hills has deprived Mpinganjira of the delicacies from the wild.

She also laments the disappearing cool breeze of Dedza mountains, which is giving way to global warming.

The lost nature’s gifts compelled the granny and other locals to take action to protect the forests from population pressure for their good and future generations.

The forest restoration project funded by National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc was launched in 2022.

Mpinganjira was among 150 people around Dedza Seven Hills who received K100 million to restore the degraded landscapes. The bank’s support also powered the restoration of the Mangochi Palm Forest and Jembya Forest Reserve in Chitipa.

She says: “For two years now, we were given 15 000 pine seedlings covering 500 hectares in the six hills.

“As community members, we have been steadfast in taking care of the trees by weeding and pruning them to ensure they have enough space and moisture.”

NBM plc also distributed some fruit seedlings to be planted in their homes.

There is similar progress in Mangochi Palm Forest and Jembya.

Mangochi forestry assistant Ellah Minthanje says people from five surrounding villages are in the forefront taking care of the 6 000 coconut, palm, m’bawa (mahogany) and ngongomwa trees planted on a 210-hectare field.

“The community response has been good. The community is also reaping the benefits of the forest restoration activities through the wages they get after doing the work. We also anticipate a nutritional boost through the fruit trees they received to plant in their homes,” she explains.

The project also seeks to enhance livelihood sustainability. 

While people in Mangochi and Jembya opted for wages and fruit seedlings to sustain themselves, Dedza communities asked for goats they pass on to each other.

“Through the programme, we have started keeping the animals. We will be able to sell some and slaughter others for our food,” Mpinganjira says.

Felister Jeremiah, chairperson of Tikondane Women Group around Mangochi Palm Forest, meets the educational needs of her child who is in secondary school.

“Some women in our group are supporting their families using what we get from taking care of these palm trees called mgwalangwa in Chiyao. We no longer struggle to get firewood because we have the trees at home,” she says.

In Jembya, Komani Mtonga has planted 32 000 seedlings on a 500-hectare land.

“We are making great progress here. We appeal to the bank to ensure funding is made faster so that we facilitate the weeding process to avoid the bush fires,” he says.

Environmentalist Maloto Chimkombero says the NBM initiative is a call to the private sector to invest more in environmental restoration.

She says: “Companies are important stakeholders in environmental conservation.

“They play a crucial role in supporting and implementing various environmental projects as part of their corporate social responsibility.”

So far, most companies are involved in planting trees and conserving forests nationwide.

NBM plc marketing and corporate affairs manager Akossa Hiwa says the bank, through its corporate social investment, understands that environmental conservation is part of its role in contribution to a more sustainable future in support of government’s efforts.

“This is a huge investment,” she says. “As a bank, we take pride in how we have managed to restore the forests and our impact on the people’s lives as they work to restore the forests around them as we strive to achieve the Malawi 2063 agenda.”