As the country battles floods, storms, and rising temperatures, the Saulos Klaus Chilima Foundation has urged stakeholders to embrace the 2025–2026 tree planting season to protect lives, livelihoods, and the environment.
The call was made by Mary Chilima, Board Chairperson of the Foundation, on Saturday, December 20, 2025, during a tree planting exercise at Nanjati Primary School in Lilongwe, where 800 tree seedlings were planted in partnership with C’ Steinweg Bridge Group.
Chilima emphasized that planting trees is a simple yet effective way to reduce the impacts of climate change and protect communities from disasters such as floods and storms.
“We are all feeling the effects of climate change and planting trees is the easy solution that we all can take part in. People die when floods or storms hit, so by planting trees we can make sure that these challenges are addressed”, said Chilima.
She also revealed that the Foundation has adopted Nanjati Primary School as a model institution for environmental conservation.
Chilima added that the Foundation plans to expand tree planting activities across rural areas, where environmental challenges are most severe.
On his part, Wamaka Neba, Environmental Health and Safety Specialist at C’ Steinweg Bridge Group, said the partnership aligns with the company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance programme, which prioritizes afforestation.
He explained that the initiative contributes towards the group’s goal of planting 100,000 trees by the end of 2025 and supports the government’s Malawi 2063 development agenda.
Representing the host institution, Esther Banda, a teacher at Nanjati Primary School, expressed gratitude to the SKC Foundation for bringing the initiative to the school.
She pledged that learners, through the school’s Wildlife Club, will nurture and protect the trees to ensure they survive.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mining and Energy, through the Department of Forestry, officially launched the 2025–2026 national forestry season on December 15, 2025.
The country aims to plant nearly 41 million trees during the season, which runs under the theme “Trees and Forests for Community Resilience” and is expected to conclude on April 15, 2026.
