United Purpose: TNM in tree management partnership, plants 15 000 seedlings at Kaphuka in Dedza
Malawi’s integrated mobile network and ICT service provider TNM Plc, has partnered with United Purpose, a development response organization in co-management of 15,000 trees starting with in Dedza.
Rolling the partnership and tree planting exercise at Kaphuka in the district, TNM Chief Executive Officer Eric Valentine said the company has changed its approach to tree planting by entering into a term partnership with UP, formerly Concern Universal aiming to achieve sustainable management of trees beyond planting.
“Although millions of trees are planted every rainy season, only a fraction of them survives beyond 24 months. It is against this background that we at TNM have sought a paradigm shift in our interventions. This shift takes a holistic approach where both recovery of trees lost and integrated management of new trees and the environment take centre stage,” said Valentine.
He said that the partnership with United Purpose will help both partners concentrate on their respective roles in the sustainable management of trees and the environment. UP has been operating in Malawi for 30 years working in partnership with local government and communities in 17 districts, and reached over 1 million rural people in Malawi in 2018. UP has planted 5 million trees since 2014
“The partnership helps clarify role sorts by resting responsibility and implementation with a partner grounded in environmental and disaster management, United Purpose (UP). For our part as TNM we will mobilize financial and human resources to support UP’s role on the ground, while focussing on providing an integrated mobile network and ICT service with environmental considerations at heart,” he said.
Valentine said the partnership is a continuation of efforts by TNM to conserve the environment. Previous efforts include joining the national annual tree planting exercise and replacing diesel-generators with solar power at base stations, he said.
“This is a part of our contribution to government’s efforts for Malawi to attain the desired 100 percent tree survival rate. Attaining a higher rate of tree survival would go a long way to bridge the yawning gap created by many years of deforestation and general environmental degradation,” he said.
UP will also promote environmental awareness and the use of cleaner cook stoves (Chitetezo Mbaula) in communities.
In her remarks, UP Country Director Heather Campbell expressed delight at the partnership.
“We are very excited to partner with TNM to tackle one of the biggest challenges in Malawi; deforestation. This partnership is an opportunity to help us to protect the environment in Dedza for future generations, as well as create opportunities for these communities in T/A Kaphuka. Central to UP’s approach is creative partnerships that bring together the diverse collaborators needed to come up with bold, creative ways to solve the pressing problems of our time, and also achieve the scale of impact we need. This is why working with an innovator like TNM is so inspiring.”
As part of the partnership TNM Plc has contributed K8.4 million to UP towards management of the trees.
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