Greening Malawi is the newest addition to the Africa Bags Empowerment Projects!  The approach for Greening Malawi is simple.  We pay local farmers and village chiefs to plant and care for trees to help fight global warming and deforestation.  The farmers are paid a salary to create a value for the trees.  Greening Malawi also partners with local schools in rural villages to plant numerous fruit trees, including Banana, Jack Fruit, Avocado, Papaya, and Mango within the school property.  Once the trees bare fruit the fruit can be eaten by the students at school.  In a typical rural Malawian school no food is served during the entire day.  Resources will also be provided to grow school gardens alongside the fruit trees to provide further nutrition for the students.

 

Deforestation is devastating the country of Malawi and hurts the poorest people most.  Trees are cut down for fire wood and also to clear land to grow food crops.  Removing trees exposes the ground to drying winds.  The lack of tree roots speeds up the erosion of the nutrient rich top soil. Planting trees helps the environment recover.  Trees create windbreaks, provide shade, and prevent erosion.  Some trees can even fertilize the soil by putting nitrogen into the soil through their roots.  Furthermore, trees can provide sources of food and medicine for both people and animals.  During photosynthesis trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere.  Trees also take water from the soil through their roots and release the water into the atmosphere through the leaves via transpiration further adding water back into the atmosphere as part of the earth’s water cycle.  

 

Greening Malawi partners with farmer and village chiefs to plant and take care of trees.  In addition to money generated by planting and caring for trees, other income sources are created as well.  Tree farmers are taught the skill of beekeeping and the sale of honey provides an additional income. “Killer African bees” also known as the protectors of the forest provide a natural deterrent to individuals illegally cutting down trees.  Bamboo can be planted and sustainably harvested every three years, and can be sold as a building material or made into fencing andfurniture. Extra trees can also be planted with the intention of sustainably harvesting them for wood burning.