The Malawian Government has set aside the months of December to April for ‘tree planting season’ in Malawi, so Team Dziwe is not holding back on our tree planting awareness activities!

WESM (Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi) ICS volunteers, together with MMCT (Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust) staff, recently held another tree planting awareness campaign in the area of group village headman Njirambo T/A Mabuka, in the Mulanje district.

Some of the damage that the floods caused

Njirambo village was affected by severe flooding on 12 January 2015 due to the nearby river Ruo (the biggest river in Mulanje) rapidly overflowing and washing away all of the local maize fields, animals and a nearby graveyard.

The event was organised by MMCT, as well as Navivi Youth Club, but was also attended by the ICS volunteers. The event was used as a platform to raise awareness among the local community on how trees can help avoid such devastating disasters in the future.

Community members and volunteers planting trees

After the awareness, ICS volunteers alongside the local community planted trees along the river banks of Ruo. The campaign attracted eight villages, which are all under group village head Njirambo, namely Njirambo, Naluso, Nambalo, Namacha, Mathalauza, Namangolo, Nyimbiri and Nanyanya village. 

The awareness campaign was a huge success with a total of 745 people attending, of which approximately 70 percent were women and 30 percent men.  

Written by ICS volunteer Jessica Lameck
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