LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Old Mutual Malawi in conjunction with SeedCo Malawi Limited and Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, covered Traditional (T.A) Masundankhunda headquarters in rural Lilongwe with 7,000 trees contain effects of climate change.
During the planning exercise, Old Mutual contributed 2,000 seedlings while Seedco brought 5,000 seedlings totaling to 7, 000.
Old Mutual’s Chief Financial Officer Vera Zulu said the exercise to plant trees is aimed at promoting environmental conservation and mitigating the effects of climate change.
She, therefore, encouraged communities to look after plated trees.
“The initiative is not only beneficial to the environment but also to the communities that will benefit from the trees planted. It is a step towards a sustainable future for communities in the area.
“We plan to plant 10,000 this year. Today we are planting.2000. We have partnered with SeedCo to plant trees in this area,” Zulu said.
Echoing the same, SeedCo Human Resource Manager Chifuniro Banda said, ” We are into the seed industry and communities in this area are one our biggest customers. As a company in the seed business, we cannot thrive if the environment is degraded and there is no natural cover that’s why we are encouraging and helping communities in tree planting exercises.
“We were here last month where we planted 3500 trees. Our target is to plant 5000 trees in this Masumbankhunda area. Today we are here again with Old Mutual to plant more trees. It shows our commitment to ensuring natural cover is restored and key in agricultural activities,” he said.
Macdonald Mandauka councillor, Malingunde Ward has since promised the two institutions that the planted trees will be taken care of
“We are grateful to the two companies for choosing our area for this exercise. We know the importance of trees. Trees control climate by moderating the effects of the sun, rain, and wind. They shield us from the downfall of rain, sleet, and hail.
We have environmental groups in our area and will ensure their survival and growth, thus contributing to the overall goal of environmental conservation,” councilor Mandauka assured.