Temwa - SIFT Community Tree Project Begins

Tuesday, 22 December 2009 14:11

A new community tree project has recently been started using funds raised at the SIFT Software Awards Ball in October. Much like our last community forestry project, this project will involve the establishment of a community tree nursery, the training of local people in the growing and care of tree and the educating of the whole community as to the importance of trees.

Due to the fast oncoming wet season, Temwa staff have been busy establishing a tree nursery at the Usisya Community Centre with the initial growing of 3,000 seedlings. These saplings will then be distributed and planted throughout the local community and surrounding area during the wet season to continue to tackle deforestation.

Deforestation is rife in Malawi and there are currently little efforts being made to check the problem. In the area where Temwa works, deforestation is a major problem, with the loss of ground cover causing disasters such as increased flooding, excessive winds and soil erosion, which all contribute to increasingly low crop yields and general environmental degradation.

The community nursery at the Usisya Community Centre was constructed in mid November and a variety of fast growing trees have been planted including native forest species, fruit trees, fast growing species for fuel wood and other agroforestry species that have a variety of uses such as preventing soil erosion, providing wind barriers for crops and increasing the moisture retention of soil. The tree species planted include Moringa, Leucaena, Acacia Albida, Cassia Spectabilis, Khaya Nyasica, Mago, Pawpaw and Tephrosia.

We are very pleased to have taken on a new member of staff to look after and run the nursery. Fostina has been a longstanding supporter of Temwa and she has been involved with this project from the beginning. We would like to welcome her to the Temwa team.

Temwa has run a previous community forestry project in Usisya with funding from the International Tree Foundation. The project was extremely successful and saw the training of six community members and all Temwa staff in the raising and care of tropical fruit trees, the establishment of the Usisya Fruit Tree Nursery, the raising and out-planting of over 1,500 fruit and agroforestry tree species and the dissemination of information to local communities about the benefits of trees and the importance of good land stewardship. The project finished several months ago but the work achieved will act as the foundation of this upcoming project. There are a few photos of the project below and you can read more about the project by clicking here.

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Preparing the ground for the nursery

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Seed bed constructed and filled with river sand donated by Nkhutu school headmaster (no cement used)

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Fostina and other Temwa staff begin filling the pots

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A shelter is constructed to shade the seedlings

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Seedlings are put in polybags in the nursery

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Comments (1)

...

Ben Heald (my partner) and I visited the project last July with our children - Conrad and Katendi - and we were so impressed with all the trees that were being planted and grown. Now it is so exciting to see what progress has been made since then. The wider variety of trees seems like a great idea also and we wish you well for the continued growth of these saplings.

Mary Maybin , January 05, 2010