Communities in the area of Traditional Authority Chimaliro in Thyolo district have hailed Malawi’s premier mobile service provider TNM for the initiative of restoring forests in the country.
TNM annually undertakes tree planting exercises in line with one of its CSR policy pillars that strive to create sustainable environment and these year the company intends to plant 36,000 seedlings.
Speaking at Goliati in Thyolo where the company has planted 12,000 seedlings in Chingazi forest, Group village headman Kadewere and Chingazi forest committee chairperson Boniface Waliwali said it was pleased with TNM’s drive in reforestation initiative.
“We are really pleased with this initiative by TNM it really shows commitment that apart from doing their telecommunication business they also saw the need to give back to the communities” said Kadewere.
Waliwali assured the company that the communities will manage the trees planted.
“ Let me assure TNM that we have committee that they manage this forest , communities in 12 villages surrounding this forest patrol these area day and night because we formed forest committees from each village and the villages alternate in patrolling the forest” said Waliwali.
Member of the Parliament for the area (Thyolo East) Gerson Solomoni commended TNM for the support and urged the communities to continue with the initiative
In his remarks TNM Head of Blantyre region David Nyirenda said the company is committed to addressing deforestation problems affecting the country.
“TNM is passionate about creating environmental sustainability in Malawi by contributing towards reforestation,” Nyirenda.
Nyirenda pledged TNM’s support to government in the initiative that aims at restoring and preserving forest.
“Considering that Malawi has one of the largest rates of deforestation in sub-Saharan Africa it holds that we should always replenish our forests with new trees. As a country we must learn to plant at least ten trees for every tree cut. There is a need to tame the wanton cutting down of our trees if we are to address the social ills affecting the country like we have noticed this year with record floods,” he said.
In the north, TNM has planted plant 12 000 tree seedlings in Mzimba’s Chikangawa Forest, 12 000 more seedlings planted in Kauma in Lilongwe whereas in the southern region, the company has also planted 12 000 seedlings in Monkey Bay.
