Temwa - Sustainable Community Development, Malawi

Tuesday, 24 January 2012 18:52

Trees for Life Campaign 2012 Relaunch

Deforestation is a huge problem in Malawi.

Temwa's Trees for Life campaign has been re-launched this year because the need in Nkhata Bay North is as real as ever. Right now, deforestation is causing floods, displacement and soil erosion. This inevitably leads to poverty and hunger.

One of the main problems is that life is very difficult for people here. They face a daily struggle to feed their families and in the belief that they need more space to cultivate crops, they have cut down swathes of woodland. But when the rains come, the fertile soil is washed away because the trees are no longer there. They are also cutting down trees for firewood to fuel their cooking.

In order to halt the devastating effect of deforestation, we are hoping to plant 250,000 saplings in August 2012 to replace those that have been cut down. Also, we will also be expanding our efforts to raise awareness about the serious consequences of deforestation within the local communities.

This campaign is linked to Temwa's long-term 'Farmer Training Support' programme. So, alongside educating people about how important the trees are to the environment, we will also be training them in how to make the best use of the land that they already grow crops on. This will improve people's long-term food security and develop the subsistence farmers' practical, working knowledge.

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This urgent need for expansion of the Trees for Life project is also due to a new government bylaw which is trying to strictly control the number of trees that are cut down and to preserve particular parts of the forest. Whilst Temwa supports all efforts against deforestation, we also want to protect the livelihood of the local people, who struggle to combat poverty, hunger and disease on a daily basis.

How You Can Help

There are many ways to support this effort and bring an end to deforestation. The simplest way to help is to donate now to the campaign; 100% of your donation will go directly to the project in Malawi.

Groups of families and friends can get together to raise funds through community events or give direct donations with the 'Family Tree Appeal'. Businesses interested in demonstrating their commitment to the environment and charitable giving can get involved through our 'Corporate Giving Appeal'.

For more information about how to get involved with this campaign please follow the link below to our Trees for Life page: http://www.temwa.org/treesforlife/