Chiradzulu communities embrace environmental restoration

By Chilungamo Missi

Director of Planning and Development for Chiradzulu, Henderson Kaumi says communities have embraced restoration and conservation of environment in the district through the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP).

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Kaumi said that after witnessing the negative effects of Tropical Cyclone Freddy which hit the district in March last year, communities have understood   importance of conserving and restoring the environment.

“We are now in the second cycle of the CS-EPWP after the pilot phase and we have started with all the participants that were registered in the first cycle and all the relevant structures at the catchment level are active. Communities now understand their role in the programme and l am sure they understand the importance of the project.

“People in Chiradzulu felt the negative effects after the Tropical Cyclone Freddy destroyed structure which they built in the pilot phase of the programme. They now understand the importance of this programme,” said Kaumi.

He added that this year, government has revised upwards the number of participants of CS-EPWP from 11,601 to 13,868 who are already on board in the ongoing second cycle in the district.

Commenting on the same, Foreman of Upper Malavi Catchment in Traditional Authority Likoswe, Steve Mwanaposo said that there were many things which the participants have done which shows that they embraced the environmental restoration.

He said: “We planted almost 62,000 trees previously, and now we have around two nurseries with 32,000 tree seedlings. We also built check dams and stone bands to prevent soil erosion because this is an upper land.”

In her remarks, one of the participants in the CS-EPWP, Christina Mathias said she is proud to be part of a team on restoring the environment saying she built a house with cash she receives from the programme and this has improved her livelihood.

CS-EPWP is a component of the Social Support for Resilience Livelihood Project and is facilitated by the National Local Government Finance Committee with support from a multi-donor Trust.