MUPAPA WOOD OPENS MARKETS FOR MUCHINGA COMMUNITIES.

Chief Chibesakunda backs initiative as company positions itself as an offtaker of honey, finkubala and mushrooms, while promoting community businesses and sustainable forest management.

By Francis Maingaila ♥️

Chindoshi, in Shiwangandu  District, Zambia24 — October 28, 2026 — Chief Chibesakunda has thrown his weight behind the Mupapa Wood Initiative, saying the project has his blessing, will create wealth, improve livelihoods while opening up new income opportunities for people in his chiefdom and the wider Shiwangandu District through sustainable forestry and skills development.

Speaking when Mupapa Wood Initiative Chief Executive Officer and Founder Ruth Ironside Chande met traditional leaders, Community Forest Management Groups and community members at Chindoshi School in Shiwangandu District, Chief Chibesakunda said he was happy that the company had finally brought the initiative to his chiefdom.

The traditional leader said the initiative presented an opportunity for local people to turn forest products into viable businesses, particularly through honey production, finkubala harvesting and mushroom collection, processing and packaging.

“I am very happy that this initiative has finally commenced in our chiefdom. I look forward to seeing our local people actively participate in its activities and begin to enjoy the economic and social benefits that Mupapa Wood Initiative will bring to our communities,” he said.

Chief Chibesakunda dismissed claims that the company intended to buy the entire forest, explaining that Mupapa Wood had come to work with communities and help them earn from their natural resources rather than take ownership of their land and forests.

He urged residents not to allow misinformation to discourage them from participating in the initiative, saying the project would bring tangible benefits once its activities were fully implemented.

“I am happy that the activities being introduced in my chiefdom will create income-generating opportunities for community members through forest products beyond timber, while promoting the sustainable use and protection of our natural resources,” he said.

The chief said the initiative would equip residents with practical skills to develop businesses around forest products, giving households alternative sources of income.

He, however, emphasised that economic opportunities must go hand in hand with environmental protection.

Chief Chibesakunda urged residents to stop indiscriminate tree cutting and embrace responsible forestry practices, recommending that three trees be planted for every tree cut.

“The other advice I have for our people is not to cut trees indiscriminately. We must maintain order when cutting trees and ensure that three trees are planted for every one tree cut,” he said.

He said protecting forests was essential to ensuring that communities continued benefiting from their natural resources for generations to come.

Speaking at the meeting, Ms Chande said Mupapa Wood was introducing a business model that would help community members earn income from products readily available in their surroundings.

She said the company would serve as an offtaker, buying honey, finkubala and mushrooms from local producers while helping them access organised markets.

Ms Chande explained that finding reliable buyers was one of the major challenges facing rural producers, who often had the skills and resources to produce goods but struggled to sell them at a fair return.

She said Mupapa Wood would address this challenge by providing a ready market, allowing community members to concentrate on production, harvesting, processing and packaging.

The initiative would particularly benefit women by creating opportunities to turn activities they were already familiar with into organised and more reliable income-generating businesses.

On honey production, Ms Chande said the company would provide modern beehives and train community members in beekeeping, including the proper management and protection of the equipment.

She said beneficiaries would produce honey for sale to Mupapa Wood, which would purchase the produce and facilitate access to markets.

Ms Chande said similar opportunities would be extended to people involved in finkubala harvesting and mushroom collection, processing and packaging, with the company buying their products.

She urged residents to organise themselves into groups and acquire the necessary skills to produce quality goods that met market requirements.

She said proper handling, processing and packaging would help maintain product quality, minimise losses and improve the commercial value of community produce.

Ms Chande said the model was intended to ensure that local people did not simply collect forest products for household consumption but also developed viable businesses from them through organised production and access to markets.

She also disclosed that Mupapa Wood would introduce other investors interested in developing tourism activities in the area, creating additional business and employment opportunities for local communities.

Beyond the business opportunities, Ms Chande said the company was committed to working with communities, the local council and Government to restore forests, particularly in areas where indiscriminate tree cutting had reduced tree cover.

She disclosed that Mupapa Wood had already engaged women in Kafue to collect tree seeds for sale to the company, while training them in raising seedlings and replanting trees.

The same programme would be introduced in Chindoshi, where women would earn income from seed collection and participate in raising and planting seedlings in designated areas.

Ms Chande said the programme would allow women to benefit economically from environmental conservation while contributing to the restoration of degraded forests.

She explained that although Mupapa Wood's primary business was furniture manufacturing, the company recognised that its operations depended on healthy forests and the sustainable management of natural resources.

“We are here to stay and work with the people. We are not here to take away the land from the people,” she said.

Ms Chande said the initiative was designed to demonstrate that communities could generate income from forests while protecting them, adding that business development and environmental conservation needed to complement each other.

Meanwhile, Shiwangandu District Commissioner Maureen Bwembya urged residents to work with Mupapa Wood to turn the initiative into practical economic opportunities that improved household incomes while protecting the environment.

Speaking at the same meeting, Ms Bwembya said the area's natural resources offered opportunities for business development, employment creation and improved livelihoods when managed responsibly.

She said cooperation between Government, traditional leaders, communities, cooperatives and private-sector partners was essential to ensuring that local people benefited from economic activities taking place in their area.

Ms Bwembya said Government, under President Hakainde Hichilema, supported initiatives that created employment, strengthened local economies and enabled communities to benefit from their natural resources.

She stressed that economic development must not come at the expense of the environment, urging residents to avoid indiscriminate tree cutting and embrace sustainable forestry practices.

The District Commissioner called on traditional leaders, community members and cooperatives to work closely with Mupapa Wood to ensure that the project created meaningful business opportunities and delivered lasting benefits.

She said the community engagement meeting should mark the beginning of practical activities rather than end with discussions, urging residents to organise themselves and take advantage of the opportunities being introduced.

Ms Bwembya also urged residents to seek accurate information about the initiative instead of allowing rumours and misinformation to shape their understanding of the company's intentions.

She assured the community that Government would not allow activities that undermined the interests of local people, emphasising that development initiatives must benefit the communities in which they operated.

She encouraged residents to make productive use of their land and natural resources, saying responsible management could support business growth and improve household livelihoods.

Shiwangandu District Marketing Officer and Acting District Agriculture Coordinator Albert Kapembwa said Mupapa Wood had come to work with communities to identify sustainable business opportunities without undermining their culture or traditional ways of life.

He said the initiative would help residents develop productive activities that generated income, strengthened household food security and promoted responsible use of natural resources.

Mr Kapembwa explained that sustainable economic activities would enable communities to benefit from their resources without destroying the environment or compromising the interests of future generations.

He expressed happiness that Mupapa Wood had started implementing the initiative in Shiwangandu, saying the priority was now to ensure that residents actively participated and benefited from the opportunities.

He said the project's success would be reflected in the businesses established, markets secured for community products, jobs created and improvements in household livelihoods, alongside the protection of the district's forest resources.