Bristol based charity Temwa launches its new summer long fundraising campaign ‘Trees for Life’ this month in an urgent response to an imminent new bylaw which will impose heavy fines on community members for cutting down trees.

Bristol based charity Temwa launches its new summer long fundraising campaign ‘Trees for Life’ this month in an urgent response to an imminent new bylaw which will impose heavy fines on community members for cutting down trees.

The ‘Trees for Life’ campaign is a massive expansion of Temwa’s current Community Forestry project which was launched in the Nkhata Bay North region of Malawi in 2007. This urgent need for expansion of the project is due to a new government bylaw put in place to strictly control the number of trees that can be cut down and particular parts of forest that are to be preserved. Deforestation is a devastating and growing problem in Malawi, where a large majority of the population are smallholder farmers. Due to a number of factors including the need to cut down trees to make room for crops or for use as fuel, deforestation is happening at an alarming rate. Every year, over 120,000 acres of indigenous trees are lost. Whilst Temwa support efforts against deforestation, the charity also wants to ensure the livelihood of community members, who are already working to combat poverty and hunger on a daily basis.

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This bylaw has been introduced with the best of intentions, but there is a vital need for this effort to be paired with the education and reforestation programmes which Temwa provides. The concern now is that it will pose as a significant hardship for communities in the region who are already struggling with poverty, hunger and disease.

In response, Temwa has launched its new ‘Tree For Life’ campaign which aims to raise £25,000 allowing for 250,000 new trees to be planted in the Nkhata Bay North Region. This goal needs to be reached by October to ensure that planting can take place prior to the rainy season in the region.

Temwa will work with businesses and family groups in the UK throughout this campaign, encouraging supporters to come together to help sponsor tree planting and education in Malawi.

The ‘Family Tree Appeal’, the family-centred branch of the campaign, is helping bring people together to raise funds with their own events and activities. These already range from sponsored walks, rock climbs and skydives to garden parties and even simply emailing friends and family for support.

With these crucial funds raised over the summer, Temwa will be able to plant 250,000 tree seedlings in nurseries and educate the community through about the care and importance of trees. .

Deforestation is a devastating and growing problem in Malawi, where a large majority of the population are smallholder farmers. Due to a number of factors including the need to cut down trees to make room for crops or for use as fuel, deforestation is happening at an alarming rate. Every year, over 120,000 acres of indigenous trees are lost. [1]

High rates of deforestation can have a number of damaging effects on the human and animal population nearby, causing flooding which leads to severe hardship and displacement, soil erosion leading to poor crop yields and the loss of countless wildlife habitats.

The sponsored trees will make a long-term difference to the communities that Temwa works with, growing successfully and safely and creating a safer and healthier environment for all. As half of the trees Temwa will help to plant are fruit trees, they will also contribute to long-term food security in the region.

For more information, visit www.temwa.org/treesforlife.

“This project is going to have a hugely positive impact on the communities that Temwa is working with in the Nkhata Bay North area. Deforestation is such a big issue there and people are in such a need for new, reliable and sustainable sources of wood; the Trees For Life campaign is going to be hugely beneficial” Johanna Hook, Director and Founder of Temwa

“At first, many people had ideas of trying to overcome the problem of deforestation in our community. But the problem was that there was nobody who could come forward to address this issue. But with the coming of Temwa with this project since 2010, then we were motivated and we have been provided with adequate tree nursery management skills. Because of Temwa’s encouragement, this year we are prepared to plant more trees compared to those planted last year and we know the future will be better.” Brake Kondowe—a member, Village Natural Resources Management Committee, Malawi

“Since Temwa’s Community Tree Project began at the school, the situation has been improved in our area as most of the people around our catchment area are now able to understand the benefits of conserving and protecting the environment. The rate of careless cutting down of trees, harmful bushfires and all sources of activities destroying the environment are reduced since many people now understand the negative impact of these harmful practices.” C.J. Chinonopa, Head Teacher, Bunga Community. Day Secondary School, Malawi