Since 2016, the communities on the eastern side of Liwonde National Park have been asking CITW to consider establishing a tree nursery for their residents in order to plant the seedlings in their gardens, at their homes and in all other community centres, as a way of restoring the degraded soil and community forests.
Above: A tree is planted, launching the tree nursery and reforestation centre
CITW saw the request as a desire for the local communities to restore land that has been denuded by deforestation. For CITW, the request for a reforestation centre was also a sign of the positive response from local communities to the environmental awareness campaigns run by CITW in those communities. CITW also considered it an opportunity for the children (including CITW Eco-Club members), to have a centre where they could meet forestry experts and also attend practical lessons on the basics of reforestation management.
In 2023, an opportunity presented itself and Symon Chibaka submitted a proposal to Total Energies Malawi for support of a reforestation project in the TA Liwonde community. It received a positive response and by early 2024, Total Energies Malawi was ready to fund CITW’s establishment of a reforestation centre at Nangondo Primary School in TA Liwonde. The site will be fenced off using wire mesh, metal poles and a metal framed gate with a lock. It will also contain a supply of tree nursery tools and equipment like wheelbarrows, watering cans and the like.
On the day of the project launch, local leaders, local school management officials and CITW youth and children were present to lay out the site where the tree nursery will be established. To mark the launch of the reforestation centre, an Eco-Club member received a tree seedling from Group Village Headman Liwonde and planted it in the middle of the site.
The way forward
The project has started with the erection of the structures, including the wire fence around the centre. By April 1, 2024, the centre will be ready for use, and establishing seedlings and community education sessions will commence. The centre will have the capacity to raise 20,000 tree seedlings and contain 3 tonnes of compost manure to fill the polyethylene tubes every year. Over 200 CITW Eco-Club members from 5 partner primary schools in the community, plus youth from the local CITW YES programme, will work on the site during some of their days set aside days for CITW activities. Between April and December every year, some 20,000 different species of trees will be raised and distributed for free to local families and communities.
The whole design includes the site being a centre where forestry experts will meet local people and children to teach them about village forests and woodlot management. The centre will also display educational posters and other information about Liwonde National Park, forestry, rural livelihoods and other related educational information.
Above: CITW youth and CITW-affiliated primary school teachers reflect on their chat with the TA
The concept is based on the CITW Nanthomba Reforestation Centre situated among the communities on the western side of Liwonde National Park. Funded by GIZ, it has raised 20,000 seedlings every year since 2012.
TA Liwonde has been a CITW Malawi local authority patron since 2006. His support for CITW includes:
· Promoting CITW activities in the local communities around Liwonde National Park
· Advocating for CITW on topics that point towards achieving sustainable conservation of wildlife, and children’ education (general growth and development)
· Sitting as local patron during all major events (including environmental awareness) organised by CITW in the Liwonde community
· Advising CITW on matters related to local cultural briefs and tradition
Left: Mercy Chitete (Central African Wilderness Safaris Lodge Head Housekeeper) who was one of CITW’s campers, who first met the Traditional Authority (TA) Liwonde leader 16 years ago when he visited the CITW annual camp held in 2008 at Mvuu Wilderness Camp
Centre: The sitting TA Liwonde
Right: Symon Chibaka, CITW Malawi Programme Co-ordinator
Report compiled by Symon Chibaka, CITW Malawi Programme Co-ordinator
16/02/2024
