Malawi is one of the counties which is extremely experiencing climate collapse due to wanton cutting of trees 🌳. Poverty is being called a major contributer to the forest damage.
Hope Ministries International through their partner Terraformation , are engaging and empowering the communities to build nurseries as they prepare to restore their forests.
HOMI uses Community engagement in its activities just to make sure that the project is purely owned by the local people.
Hope Ministries International through the established, equipped and strengthened VNRMC’s is empowering more women in climate change restoration activities in the five districts of Malawi.
Focus groups participatory meetings are are held under the watch of government forest officers and village chiefs.
The whole idea is NOT to leave anyone behind in reversing climate change with forests.
HOMI has over 400 ha which needs to be restored with native and exotic trees 🌳
Action plans to be tabled during reforestation period..Women leading the group discussions.
In a bid to enhance forest restoration activities in Malawi, HOPE Ministries International presented a five (5) Hectare Native Forest restoration project to Lilongwe distric council through the district executive Commitee members.
The project is being implemented in group village headman Mabwera, in T/A Masumbankhunda in Llilongwe district.
Hope Ministries International does not work in isolation but with government structures and other stakeholders.
The total number of Hectaresto be restored is 100 in all the six sites HoMI is operating..
e project is funded by Terraformation global in the USA 🇺🇸.
In a way of establishing, strengthening and equipping the village natural resources management committees – VNRMC’s in the five districts and six sites of Malawi where Enhancing Native Forest Restoration project is being implemented, Hope ministries international has managed to train over One hundred (100) members of the overseer committees in Nursery establishments, management and Design.
Dean of Indigenous forestry in action…….
All the six committees were trained by the dean of indigenous forestry from Lilongwe university of agriculture and natural resources- LUANAR “Gift kamanga Thole and also district forest office -DFO and District environmental Sub-committee- DESC members.
Trained VNMRC Committees from Namadidi and Ulumba in Zomba districts taking photos with the Donor NING from Terraformation
After winding up the trainings in Malingunde site in Lilongwe, Gift said he is very optimistic that the trained Committees will work hand in hand with the fellow communities in forest restoration activities and has since encouraged the trained members to train others communities on the same subject so that the goal to reverse climate change with native forests is achieved. Gift also thanked the donor (Terraformation) for this project in Malawi and has opened a good room for advice in agroforestry activities which HOMI will be taking.
In her remark, the Executive Director for Hope Ministries International, Jessica Kalanje has thanked the dean for his generous support towards forest restoration activities in Malawi and has then reminded all the participants to walk the talk in reversing the effects of climate change with forests as per the project theme.
Training in Nursery establishment , management and design in progress in Iponga site, Karonga district
The training took place in all the five districts of Malawi thus, Zomba, Dowa, Lilongwe, Karonga and Chitipa.
The project is funded by Terraformation global and is to restore over 100ha of native forests in Malawi.
HOMI has dedicative well trained field officers in all the five districts and some are just volunteers. This gives hope to the communities as they work hand and hand directly on ground…..
HOMI does not work in isolation, it does work with the Government and also other stakeholders on ground………all of its programs are presented to The District Environmental Sub Committee and also to The District Executive committee which comprises of several stakeholders working in the district..
Karonga , Iponga is one of the sites where HOMI is operating in several community intervention programs……
Iponga Health Centre serves the population of 25,919 and there are only 25 health workers. An average of about 3,000 patients are treated in a month while in the rainy and malaria season it covers an average of over 8,000 especially from November to February. The Senior HSA indicated that only 11 Health Surveillance Assistance are available with a gap of 4.Further, it has only 1 community Mid wife available with a gap of 3.
The team also observed that the facility do not have the electricity at the since February. It was recommended that that the solar can be of ideal.
The Health centre has Kapolo as the nearest referral Rural Hospital which is 41km. The Hospital Incharge complaint that they even handle cases from Mapwa area which is 22km prone to floods and makes difficult for mothers and children to access maternal or child health care services. There are 35 deliveries of babies in a week.
Some Notable Challenges
Shortages of drugs like Gentamicin, tetracycline, Zinc, ORS, magnesium, Sulphate
No cold chain ( refrigerators) to keep vaccines
No mobility- even for extension Health workers to visit Maternal women so there’s need for 2 motor bikes
From 11 health post on 3 are functional thus Kalembo, Mwanyoka and Kabale
No Ambulance, no bicycle ambulance
Water and sanitation very poor. There’s one borehole shared with communities
No incinerator available, they use ash pit
No friendly youth facilities to access health services
Shortages of maternal beds, only 6 beds available
Maternal wing needs to be extended
Waiting room in construction but need to speed up completion
No PPE’s such as gloves, masks, Aprons, only given 10 gloves a month
No Catheters
No sterilizers
No saline
No Thermometers and stop watches
No weighing scales for under-five clinics
No staff toilets
Staff houses a big problem only 4 available and have NO electricity, need to add 6
DISABILITIES
No friendly structures to persons with disabilities, only a single toilet has
Steps and entrances to the health Centre has no friendly entries for disabilities
Hope Ministries International alongside Other partner local based and international organizations have embarked on restoration of degraded forests in Malawi through several livelihoods interventions…..
These are community managed forests and stiff penalties are set through the By-laws which are set by the communities with the help of Government.
