CSEPWP brings mountain back to life in Dowa

If you would literally take how a conversation between a man and his wife would be based on Paul Subili and Rod Valamanja's song “Taononga dziko,” it would sound something like this:

“Bambo a Ju, we do not have relish today,” the wife tells her husband. “But” he takes a pause thinking of how to respond. “I do not have any money on me today,” he replies.

A brief silence vents. Eyes lock.

“What are we going to do,” she asks,” seemingly worried for a moment.

“Do not worry my dear. I know what to do. Just get that big pot cleaned, I am going to the forest now”. The dialogue would end with the wife heading towards the kitchen, smiling, knowing the family will eat meat that day.

Of course, in many areas, that would be decades ago when forests and mountains like Chisudzi hill in Goma village in Traditional Authority Msakambewa in Dowa, were in their prime, blossoming with natural vegetation.

Unfortunately for Kennedy Kambani, chairperson of Tovi catchment, he did not get to see the glory Chisudzi hill once bathed in. He only witnessed its degradation.

“It was a sorry and deplorable site. You could barely believe the stories from our parents that preceding the 80s, this mountain was full of life,” he says.

Full of life, Kambani says the mountain once boasted of rich natural resources like indigenous trees, bushes, grass, creating a natural habitat for wildlife.

To the surrounding communities, it was not only a source of beautiful scenery, but the trees also provided fresh air, protection from strong winds, and prevented soil erosion.

People, he said, would go to the mountain to source mushroom, wildlife, and fruits. When in abundance, these were also a source of income for communities.

However, the curse of the mountain was not to be a spiritual one but rather, man-made.

“Since the beginning of the early 90s, there were uncontrolled levels of wanton cutting down of the trees for firewood and charcoal that the mountain almost lost all its trees.

“As a result, during rainy seasons, there used to be high levels of running water from the mountain which affected cultivation of crops on the peripherals of the mountain as crops could easily get washed away.

“Also, soil erosion was high, washing away nutrients. There was low water infiltration resulting into little moisture to sustain natural regeneration of trees,” he said.

This he added also raised high risks of flash floods as there was little vegetation to reduce water velocities during rainy seasons.

However, realizing the dangers this environmental degradation posed, people started thinking of how they could reverse the situation.

“A few years ago, there was one donor funded project, which was followed by another project under Public Works Program, which all aimed at reforestation of the hill.

“But we started recording huge changes with the coming in of the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works program (CS-EPWP),” he said.

The CSEPWP is a component under Malawi governments Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP).

It is funded by the World Bank and the Multi Donor Trust Fund and facilitated by the National Local Government Finance Committee in all the 28 district councils in the country.

Its main aim is to empower communities in land conversation activities.

Kambani said in 2022, they had 12 projects under the CS-EPWP aimed at restoring some of the degraded environment within the catchment. During the period they constructed 3600 contour ridges, 5470 check dams, 4920 infiltration pits.

They also had a nursery of 15000 seedlings, planted 14000 trees of which 11000 survived.

“But one hotspot for us was this hill, so we intensified planting trees across the hill, constructed infiltration pits harvest rainwater to maintain soil moisture.

“As we speak a good part of the hill is now covered with trees which was last seen decades ago,” he says.

Secretary for the group Kenneth Thunde said since inception of the program, over 50000 trees have been planted under the project within the catchment area. He said community participation has been crucial in making sure tree survival rate is high.

“Within the project, there is a component which requires participants to work on a contributory basis for 10 days of which we always do with dedication.

“But we also encourage each other that whatever we do is for our own and future generations benefit. So, protection of the trees does not end when a cycle is completed. Anyone is always on guard. And we established bylaws to punish violators,” he said.

Thunde adds that in 5 years, they envision the hill will be fully reforested.

Amongst other sub projects to be implemented in the third cycle include construction of 2365 infiltration pits, 31 kilometres of swales, and 31 kilometres of contour marker ridges.

Anjela Chauluka, one of the members of the catchment says implementation of projects had been successful because of cooperation amongst members.

Dowa district land resource conservation officer Tarmerson Mhone said it was encouraging to note that there is mind-set change amongst communities in land conversation activities.

Participants he said receive K28800 upon completion of a cycle but said despite the financial incentives, people are partaking in the project because of the knowledge they are getting.

“Participants are also learning of various ways they can protect their environment. For example, how contour bands can reduce running water and soil loses for soil productivity, how swales can improve drainage, the importance of infiltration pits in water harvesting and moisture retention.

“Through the CS-EPWP, people are getting to realize that any act of environmental degradation be it cutting down of a single tree will have consequences and that it is important to protect the environment,” said Mhone.

Mhone added saying with the knowledge being imparted to the communities, he was hopeful that if the project would in the future come to an end, communities would still appreciate the need to conserve the environment.

He then commended CS-EPWP participants, communities, and stakeholders in the district for collaboration in ensuring gains being recorded under the project are sustained.

Bakaya Yohane Mtsitsi is the Acting District Forestry officer for Dowa whose office coordinates all forestry related activates in the district.

He commended the CS-EPWP for the afforestation initiatives within the project and said his office is committed to ensure high tree survival in all programs including the CS-EPWP.

“We encourage communities and help them in formulation of committees which will be governing the protection of trees, and how they can select leaders with good qualities and interests in this. The committees establish by-laws which suit them as regards tree protection.

“We also work with the Area and Village Development Committees in disseminating messages on tree protection. But we also have extension workers across the district who provide readily available technical guidance and assistance to communities wherever necessary,” said Mtsitsi.

For Kambani, he hopes he will tell a different story to his grandchildren unlike the one he heard from his elders.

“I hope the only story to tell my grandchildren is how through the CS-EPWP we managed to bring back to life Chisudzi hill and how we stood up to end environmental degradation in our community,” said Kambani.