In an effort to conserve the environment, activist and co-founder at Save the Future Foundation Maloto Chinkombero has embarked on an initiative called Green Homes Initiative which aims at donating and planting 10,000 fruit trees around houses in Lilongwe city and surrounding areas.
Speaking in an interview, Chinkombero said he believes that the initiative will encourage Malawians most especially those who live in urban areas to plant fruit trees at their houses, thereby, promoting environmental conservation.
“We believe that tree planting should be done at a family level so that so that we instill the spirit of responsibility in tree management among the youth and children. The other reason is that in urban areas, people buy plots not for forest creation but building houses, so the best way is to encourage them to plant fruit trees around their houses,” said Chinkombero.
Chinkombero said through the initiative, they are planning to plant 10,000 fruit trees within Lilongwe.
“Through this initiative, we are planning to plant 10,000 fruit trees within Lilongwe city and the surrounding areas. We are also planning to construct a village which will have all kind of nature and a school where people will be trained environmental management skills and knowledge,” he said.
The environmental activist commended government through Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources for its effort in promoting environmental conservation through a number of projects. He said despite these achievements, there are still other issues that government has to look into so that environment can be fully protected.
“For instance, the issue of thick plastics ban has to be solved as soon as possible. Government has to kill charcoal market by investing in clean energy technologies. Timber Millers have to be investigated on how they are operating, we are losing more trees because of their greed. And councils should improve on waste management issue, it is high time they construct waste dumping sites,” said Chinkombero.
He however, urged fellow youths in the country to be united and take care of environment in their respective communities.
“We need good water, healthy soils, trees and wildlife for our life to be productive. Environment is our future. Let’s love it,” he urged.
Save the Future Foundation is a developmental organization whose mission is to create sustainable opportunities for both current and future generations. It focuses on environmental management, climate change mitigation, building schools, providing safe water and youth empowerment.
Apart from being a co-founder at Save the Future Foundation and environmental activist, Chinkombero is also a Jazz musician who advocates for environmental practices and policies through singing.
