The United Civil Servants SACCO (UCSSACCO) has planted over 1,000 trees at Kaphala Full Primary School in Lilongwe as part of a campaign to plant two million trees by 2028, according to a May 6 report from MBC Online. UCSSACCO General Manager Francis Waliwa stated that the cooperative is focusing on ensuring the long-term survival of the seedlings to help restore national forests and offset climate change, rather than simply planting them and walking away.
The tree planting drive has drawn regional support from the African Cooperative Development Foundation (ACDF). ACDF Executive Director Grace Watsiera noted that financial cooperatives have a necessary role in building environmentally sustainable communities across Africa, MBC Online reports. Local leaders, including Sanjiko Mazengera Ward Councillor Paul Khongoni, have pledged to use existing community structures to protect and maintain the newly planted trees.
In related environmental news, the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services issued a national weather advisory on May 6 predicting high temperatures alongside partly cloudy conditions and isolated afternoon thunderstorms. The department attributed the weather patterns to an easterly air mass. Authorities advised the public to drink water regularly and limit outdoor activities during peak daytime heat.