The charity organization made the plea during a recent tree planting exercise organized through the Titukulane and Social Support for Resilient Program (Sosure), with support from Villages in Partnership, at One Heart Day Secondary School in TA Mkagula.
According to Save the Children Executive Director for Villages in Partnership, Wellings Mwalabu, a total of 500 trees were planted at the school.
“We have planted 500 hundred trees of different kinds as one way to cover the school from winds and also to act as an example to the students on how important it is to plant the trees,” said Mwalabu.
Mwalabu went on to explain that One Heart Day Secondary School is a newly built school and requires trees to protect it from strong winds. Traditional Authority Mkagula also encouraged fellow chiefs to promote the protection of trees, emphasizing that if trees are protected, they will enjoy the fruits in the future.
“We have bylaws in our areas, so I am just encouraging my fellow chiefs to foster the laws to those found destroying the trees,” said Mkagula. He also urged the youth to cultivate the habit of tree planting, even in their homes.
The Assistant District Forestry Officer, Alepha Kayiyasa, also called for concerted efforts from government and non-governmental agencies to tackle environmental degradation, stressing that everyone has a role to play in tree planting.
“We plan to plant 250,000 trees at the TA level, but I can assure you that so far, we are progressing because over 100,000 plus trees have been planted. What I can say is that let’s join hands to achieve the intended goal,” said Kayiyasa.
The 500 trees have been planted at One Heart Day Secondary School in the village of Group Phetembe in Traditional Authority Mkagula in Zomba District.