Tree Planting Project in Malawi, Africa

NEWS: TREE PLANTING PROJECT, JANUARY 2008

Tree Planting Programme 2007-2008
Our tree planting programme has developed very quickly over the past two years and, with the small resources that we have had, the RIPPLE Africa staff and the communities have achieved amazing results. We have had a very successful tree planting programme during the last 12 months, and 1,250,000 tree seedlings have been raised in 137 tree nurseries — we estimate that we now have about 3,000 people working on this project. Last year, many of the trees were planted in a variety of areas, and it was difficult to monitor and manage these trees. This year, through the guidance of our new supervisors, we have encouraged communities to plant the majority of trees in a few selected areas. This will mean that monitoring and caring for the trees will be easier. It is important to make sure that communities look after these trees for at least the first two years by clearing the grass from around each tree, preventing bush burning, and preventing goats from roaming freely in these areas. Also, by protecting these areas, trees that have previously been cut down will be given the chance to grow again. This secondary growth will provide diversity and, because the trees will have established roots, they will grow more quickly and more successfully than the newly planted trees.


RIPPLE Africa staff promoting the “Care for the Trees of Malawi” campaign	One of the 137 RIPPLE Africa tree nurseries	David Banda, a forest guard, with one of the community tree nursery members	Recently planted trees at Kachere Primary School — growing quickly!

We will be changing the emphasis of the project during 2008 to provide much more awareness training and monitoring. We have certainly experienced failures where trees have been planted and then, in the dry season, bush fires have killed a number of them. Our goal for this year is to maintain the existing 137 nurseries and only to establish an additional 23 nurseries.

We now have four supervisors, two assistant supervisors, and two awareness training officers employed on the tree planting programme. All of these staff live locally and are working hard to achieve the goals set by RIPPLE Africa.

Senior Chiefs Visit the Deforested Area of Chikwawa
Deforestation is a major problem in Malawi but, fortunately, Nkhata Bay District (the area in which we are operating) still has lots of forest areas. In the south of the country, however, nearly all areas have been deforested, and in most places there are no large trees as far as the eye can see. We were told about an area called Chikwawa, which is particularly badly deforested, where there is devastating soil erosion. Aleke Banda, our MP, suggested that we should take all of the senior chiefs in Nkhata Bay District to visit Chikwawa. Force, our environmental projects manager, organised this trip, and the chiefs were horrified to see what is happening in their own country. This trip made a real impression on the chiefs, and they have been galvanised into action to try and prevent the same thing happening in their area. RIPPLE Africa has funded awareness meetings with the senior chiefs and some of their 400 village headmen. We see this as the start of our environmental awareness programme.


The Senior Chiefs learning about deforestation and how it is affecting the communities at Chikwawa	One of the heavily deforested and eroded hills at Chikwawa	If individuals do not grow their own trees, they will have no wood in the future for cooking, etc.

Company Registration No. 04823686 • UK Registered Charity No. 1103256

Contact RIPPLE Africa