By Mike Maganga
A local environmental organisation, Mother Earth Initiative, has embarked on an afforestation drive dubbed ‘365 Days of Tree Planting Challenge’.
Mother Earth Initiative founder, Odetta Kaonda, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Friday that the initiative plants at least one tree every day without fail, apart from joining tree planting events in various schools and communities.
So far, the initiative has planted 630 trees since the start of the campaign launched in line with the 2025/2026 National Forestry Season.
Kaunda said, by the end of the challenge, a total of 10,000 trees are expected to be planted in Traditional Authorities (TA) Kapeni and Chigaru in Blabtyre and TA Chitera in Chiradzulu districts.
“Our goal is to make tree planting a culture in Malawi than a one-off ceremony,” she said.
Director of Seventeen Active Youth Organisation (SAYO), Sydney Juma, said there is need for community-led environmental conservation to compliment national goals.
“We are proud to stand with Mother Earth Initiative in this journey. Our role is to ensure that environmental conservation activities reach the heart of our communities.“By working together, we are not only planting trees but also planting the seed of responsibility among youth and local leaders,” he said.
The initiative goes beyond planting trees as it also focuses on tree survival to ensure high survival rate whose trees will provide good vegetative cover thereby protecting land degradation.
To help reach this goal, Mother Earth Initiative in partnership with SAYO and community based natural resources conservation structures encourages community members to participate in tree planting through Celebrate with a Tree Programme.
The programme appeals to Malawians to plant a tree in special moments such as birthdays, weddings, and other social gatherings to raise awareness on the importance of afforestation and responding to effects of climate change.
Second Vice President Enock Chihana officially launched the 2025/2026 national Forestry Season on January 16, 2026 at Mpata Primary School in Phalombe District under the theme ‘Trees and Forests for Community Resilience’.
