Partnerships in Action
By Francis Maingaila ♥️
Lusaka, Zambia24 — (11-12-2025) -- The Mupapa Initiative, through its NGO—the Mupapa Environmental and Social Sustainability Initiative (MESSI)—today planted 500 indigenous fruit and forest trees at Mwembeshi Correctional Farms, launching the first phase of a 2,500-tree programme that will extend to prisons in Kabwe and the Copperbelt to restore degraded land, strengthen Zambia’s climate resilience, and provide fruit that will improve food security and local livelihoods.
Mupapa Wood and Mupapa Initiative Chief Executive Officer Ruth Chande–Ironside said the project was born out of a sense of responsibility to replace indigenous trees lost to excessive cutting.
She explained that the organisation, which uses local timber for furniture production, felt compelled to contribute to environmental regeneration as trees continue to disappear at alarming rates countrywide.
“We cannot sit back when we see people cutting trees everywhere,” Chande said during the planting exercise.
“Because we use trees, we must give back. Our effort may be small, but it is necessary, especially with the threats posed by climate change.”
She said the initiative aligns with the President’s call to plant trees and reverse environmental degradation, adding that the tree-planting campaign could grow into a national programme if more institutions partner in the effort.
The 500 trees planted at Mwembeshi today form part of a larger target of two million trees in two years by Mupapa Initiative.
The initiative plans to achieve this through partnerships with cooperatives, correctional facilities, and private-sector supporters. Chande emphasized that the effort is also meant to inspire nationwide participation, encouraging individuals, companies, and institutions to take responsibility for restoring Zambia’s forests.
The 500 trees planted today include indigenous fruit and forest species such as Masau (Ziziphus mauritiana), Musekese (Piliostigma thonningii), Makole (Azanza garckeana), Musikili (Trichilia emetica), Musangu (Faidherbia albida), Molinga (Moringa oleifera), and Mupapa (Alfezeria quanzesis).
The Mupapa Initiative will next move to Kabwe and prisons in the Copperbelt Province as the 2,500-tree programme at Mwembeshi concludes.
She said the long-term goal is a greener, climate-resilient Zambia, where communities, institutions, and companies work together to replenish forests.
Speaking at the event, Zambia Correctional Service Head of Agroforestry Francis Kasanga acknowledged that the Service’s own farming operations, covering 1,199 hectares under irrigation, have impacted forests through mandatory land clearing.
He said the Service is now committed to restoring degraded areas in line with the recently launched national forestry guidelines.
“Forest degradation in Zambia is driven by poor management and unsustainable practices,” Kasanga said.
“We all have a responsibility to reverse this trend. Environmental destruction affects everyone, and tree planting is one of the most effective steps we can take.”
Kasanga said forests are central to Zambia’s ecological stability, supporting water conservation, soil fertility, traditional medicines, carbon storage, and community livelihoods.
He added that planting trees within correctional farms will help restore hydrological systems and protect agricultural land from climate-induced challenges such as drought and erosion.
Majoro Investments, Poundstretcher, and Pharmanova were among the private-sector supporters who financially contributed to the initiative, not only endorsing the project but also pledging continued support for the Mupapa Initiative’s long-term environmental goals.
Majoru Investments Managing Director Joseph K. Weltin, whose company supports the tree-planting programme, stressed the importance of conserving indigenous species and adopting sustainable practices such as selective harvesting, organic farming, and maintaining windbreaks on farms.
He said the indiscriminate cutting of trees for charcoal or timber threatens long-term national development.
“We must work with nature, not against it,” Weltin said.
“Trees are vital in the water cycle, in stabilizing the climate, and in protecting crops and land. Zambia should be exporting finished furniture, not destroying hardwoods for raw export.”
Weltin reaffirmed his company’s commitment to the project, noting that responsible management of indigenous trees is critical for national development.
“We saw the initiative in action today, and it’s clear that small steps like this can lead to significant change. Our support will continue, both financially and through active participation, to ensure Zambia’s forests are protected for future generations,” Weltin said.
Poundstretcher commended the programme as an effective way of “giving back to Mother Nature.”
The company emphasized that sustainable practices and tree planting are essential for a greener Zambia and pledged to back Mupapa Initiative projects wherever possible.
Pharmanova CEO Mr. Umar Mohammed, who recently assumed the presidency of the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM), said supporting SMEs while promoting environmental conservation is a priority. “From the start of my tenure as ZAM president, we have focused on initiatives that keep Zambia greener. Pharmanova will continue to support the Mupapa Initiative, helping ensure that tree-planting programmes reach communities nationwide,” Mohammed said.
These partnerships highlight a growing trend of private-sector engagement in environmental stewardship, demonstrating that collaborative action between businesses, cooperatives, and NGOs can play a transformative role in combating deforestation and promoting sustainable developmen
Women’s cooperatives, including Muyoti Multipurpose Cooperative, contributed seedlings.
Mary Mweemba said the cooperative has been raising indigenous trees since 2023, supplying over 1,000 seedlings so far.
MICMAR’s Head of Marketing and Communications, Nampito Nachula, spoke on the company’s support for environmental and community initiatives.
“MICMAR is committed to community empowerment and environmental sustainability. Our goal is not just theoretical; we aim to make a practical and financial impact.
We fully support the Mupapa Awareness Campaign for environmental protection and appeal to everyone to join the fight against climate change.
Too often, companies engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives purely for publicity. We want to go beyond that—we want to be hands-on and actively participate in the Mupapa Initiative.
The environment is under threat; very few trees are surviving, and deforestation continues to harm our ecosystems. The government should support more initiatives like this, as they are crucial for sustainable development.
We believe in walking alongside Mupapa for as long as they need us. This will not be our first or last involvement—we are committed to long-term support.
MICMAR also supports sports, education, and broader community development. For example, we have repainted hospitals and community facilities.
Whenever the community needs assistance, we are ready to help—whether through financial support or partnerships with our suppliers to provide materials for renovations, sponsorships for sports teams traveling abroad, or other community projects.
In education, we empower schools by sponsoring students for local and international programs, and we also assist with school fees for children in need.
Regarding environmental initiatives like tree planting, we promote sustainable practices in our own operations, including using solar energy in our stores to reduce reliance on electricity from the grid.
As for our support to the Mupapa Initiative, we are actively involved on the ground—planting trees, collaborating, and contributing wherever possible. We are also exploring ways to provide financial assistance in the future.
This commitment aligns with MICMAR’s mission over the last 31 years: to empower communities, protect the environment, and invest in sustainable development.”
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