RIPPLE Africa runs a fruit tree project in Malawi, Africa. RIPPLE Africa’s fruit tree project has three main aims:
RIPPLE Africa began its fruit tree project in 2007, and grows improved citrus, mango, guava, pawpaw (papaya), avocado, and banana trees in Malawi. While some fruit trees grow naturally in Africa, trees are often poorly managed, and some fruit trees (banana trees in particular) suffer from viruses which mean they do not produce fruit. RIPPLE Africa has established improved fruit trees which produce a greater crop yield, have a stronger resistance to viruses, and are of a much better quality. Growing improved fruit trees requires a great deal of knowledge and careful management. (For further information about how RIPPLE Africa manages each type of fruit tree, please read the Fruit Tree Step-by-step Guide.)
Fruit trees are grown from infancy in RIPPLE Africa’s special fruit tree nursery at Mwaya, so that RIPPLE Africa staff can manage the delicate budding and grafting process. From there, fruit trees go to one of three places:
All fruit trees are for the benefit of the community, and in time and with proper care will produce enough fruit for community members to eat, and to sell for profit.
In Malawi, an area of forest the size of a football pitch is cut down every 10 minutes. (To read about deforestation in Malawi, please go to the General Information About the Environment in Malawi page.) Any kind of tree planting project is hugely important to the environment in Malawi; however, fruit tree planting in particular creates a natural incentive for people to protect their trees, as a fruit tree provides both food and income. RIPPLE Africa’s fruit tree planting project is also an important way of improving nutrition. In Malawi, malnutrition is a large cause of death among children, and poor diet can lead to general ill health and disease. Many people in Malawi go hungry and survive only on a staple carbohydrate called nsima (a porridge made from either maize or cassava), severely lacking many of the important vitamins and minerals which fruit can provide. Free access to a variety of fruit at household level improves the health of vulnerable rural families. Lastly, because RIPPLE Africa’s improved fruit tree project produces fruit of a higher quality, fruit from one of RIPPLE Africa’s fruit trees is highly competitive at market, especially some varieties such as oranges and tangerines, which are rarely grown in the area. The value of access to a sustainable income stream for a poor rural family cannot be underestimated!
RIPPLE Africa wants as many people as possible to have access to improved fruit trees. By donating to plant a fruit tree in Malawi, Africa, you are helping the environment, improving the health of people in Malawi, and providing a vital income stream to a family who really needs it.
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