Celebrating Zambian Excellence

Published from Blogger Prime Android AppTrailblazer Ruth Chande Ironside Wins 2025 Women in Industry Award  for Innovation, Empowerment, and Sustainability

By Francis Maingaila ♥️
Lusaka, Zambia24 – (19-09-2025) – Ruth Chande Ironside, founder and CEO of Mupapa Wood Initiative, has been recognized at the 2025 Manufacturers Month Women in Industry Awards for her outstanding contributions to Zambia’s furniture manufacturing sector and environmental conservation.

Ironside expressed her pride in her craft, saying, “It’s rewarding to see simple wood transformed into beautiful furniture and know it’s Zambian and created by a woman. My journey shows that with dedication, anyone can achieve their goals.”
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Highlighting her role as both an employer and mentor, she added, “Training young men and women in furniture-making is one of the most fulfilling parts of my work. My team, my family, and especially my husband have been instrumental in this success.”
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Reflecting on the challenges she has faced, Ironside said, “Achieving this does not come easy. It takes hard work, but if you enjoy what you do and do your best even in tough times, it somehow works. There are always ups and downs, but it’s about not giving up when the going gets tough. Most importantly, God has a plan for us if we open our hearts and eyes and let Him lead.”

Beyond furniture production, Ironside champions reforestation through her sister NGO, the Mupapa Environmental and Social Sustainability Initiative (MESSI), which seeks to restore Zambia’s degraded landscapes and mitigate climate change. Recently, 420 indigenous trees were distributed to 30 farming communities in Chikupi, Kafue District. “For every tree we harvest, we plant another to maintain sustainability,” she explained.
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The initiative collaborates with a local women’s cooperative that runs a tree nursery and plans to extend to schools, teaching children the importance of forest conservation and environmental stewardship.

Ironside also announced plans to introduce solar gas cookers in partnership with a Zambian company, offering a cleaner alternative to charcoal. “Our vision is to expand these efforts nationwide, increasing tree cover and promoting eco-friendly practices,” she said.

Her recognition at the awards underscores her dual impact: nurturing local industry while empowering communities and advancing environmental responsibility across Zambia.
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