Tree Planting Project

 
5th May 2018

The picture shown Pius, on the left a friend since 2007, when we came to work and build a three-classroom primary school block with 10 students from DIT, Dublin. On the right is Laston, head of our newly formed tree department
 
Most days in Malawi are good but some are amazing. This visit comes into the latter category.
 
In the background is a piece of land which Pius has donated to us as a thank you for our continuing support in his area. What is really so amazing is the quality of land that he has given us. This generosity is as rare in Malawi as it is everywhere else.
 
The land is to show the benefits of  tree planting as an example to the community at large and hope they will learn and copy.
 
We later walked to lands and took the GPS locations and find that they extend to about 3 hectares. The plan is to plant over 5000 pines which will mature in about 15 years and about 10,000 eucalyptus or Blue Gums which will be sold after 5 years.
 
We will also plant about 5000 improved variety fruit trees like Citrus, Mango, Papaya, Peaches, Plums, Brazil nuts, Avocado and a selection of other trees.
The fruit trees will come from our I.C.R.A.F approved farm in Lusangazi where we will produce over 40,000 seedlings this year
 
We will pay rent (even though it has been refused), and share the proceeds of sales, with the remaining income funding our employee pension fund.
 
This will be a show-area to display the benefits of tree planting as a commercial venture for the very poor and how it can lift them our of the extreme poverty they suffer.
 
When promoting this we only mention business and money, but of course it will have a positive impact on climate, miniscule as it may be in a Global sense.
 
It has to start somewhere and why not here.
Our million trees will not save the planet but if we can start a little movement, who knows where it can go