Mthunzi Funeral Services launches tree nursery programme
As one way of mitigating the effects of climate change in the country, Mthunzi Funeral Services — a subsidiary of Old Mutual Malawi Plc, has introduced ‘Mthunzi Tree Nursery and 2021 Tree planting’ activity.
Speaking during the launch at Mthunzi Funeral Services in Blantyre, Chief Operations for Old Mutual Khumbo Phiri said they decided to launch the nursery and tree planting exercise as part of social responsibility.
According to Phiri, Funeral Services business depend much on tree as raw materials for making coffins and caskets hence the need to take part in tree planting exercise.
“Our business resolves around trees,” Phiri said. “It is therefore our responsibility to make sure that trees are restored and preserved for sustainability of our business and others in the sector.
“With this nursery, we commit to give a tree to each bereaved family for every funeral we conduct. Thus for every coffin that goes; a tree will be planted, for every life that is lost; a tree will be planted as remembrance.”
Phiri then called upon local leaders and community members to joins hands in taking good care of the planted trees.
“Let us take responsibility as leaders and members of the communities to make sure that the trees we plant at every opportunity are preserved and sustained as the impact they will in our lives will benefit the future generation,” he said.
Present at the launch was Wildlife Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) whose national chairperson Dr. Tiwonge Gawa commended Old Mutual for the initiative, saying it will help to address effects of climate change.
“Let me commend Mthunzi and Old Mutual for launching an in-house tree nursery and 2021 tree planting activity, this will help to address deal with effects of climate change,” said Gawa while calling for the corporate world to emulate the good gesture.
“In partnership with WESM, Mthunzi will distribute over 10,000 seedlings to five selected communities within Blantyre District as part of 2021 tree planting activity.
Statistics indicate that the country loses a total of 32,000 hectares of forest every year and over the past few years, the idea of planting trees as a low cost, high impact solution to climate change has really taken hold.
Previous studies have indicated that trees have enormous potential to soak up and store carbon, and many countries like Malawi have establishing shed tree planting campaigns as a key element of them plans to tackle climate change.
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