A forestry regeneration project being undertaken in Northern Malawi is a testimony to the benefits to be gained when communities are supported to work together to a common goal.
For as a direct result of the local conservation scheme dozens of householders are now earning an income from the production and sale of medicinal plants and other non-timber forest products, while many more are using the restored forest as a habitat to rear colonies of bees and harvest honey.
Householders in Ngalaglala and communities from more than a dozen outlying villages first came together more than seven years ago in a bid to tackle widespread deforestation and the consequent erosion of soil on the nearby Nkhala Hills.
With assistance provided by Self Help Africa’s FAIR programme the villagers worked to reinstate an 120 acres expanse of natural forestry and put into place an agreement for the future management of the local resource.
Their combined efforts have succeeded not just in reinstating the forest as a nature habitat for local wildlife, but has also established the Nkhala Hills as an environment that supports a range of income generating activities for villagers, including beekeeping, and the production and sale of a range of medicinal herbs and other non-timber forest products.
Plant derived medicines are highly sought after in Malawi, where natural botanics are used to treat a wide range of ailments including malaria, cancer, diarrhoea, and the palliative care of people living with HIV/AIDS.
To ensure the ongoing protection of the reinstated forestry the community has been assisted with the formulation of its own by-laws, which have been registered with the Malawian Government under the country’s Forestry Act.
Local communities speak of the positive effects of the afforestation of Nkhala Hills on the local micro-climate too and say that the project has also reduced the amount of water run off from the hills, the extent of soil and gulley erosion and has allowed surrounding land to be reclaimed for productive farming activities.
|
