The Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Land and Natural Resources has called on the people of Eastern Province to start educating their children on the importance of planting trees. 

Committee Chairperson Michalo Kasautu who is also Bweengwa Member of Parliament said there was is need for people to start conserving forests like their forefathers did and also develop a habit of planting trees especially now when the country is faced with climate change. 

He said this when the team paid a courtesy call on Senior Chief Luembe at his palace in Nyimba district.

Mr Kasautu added that parents should also develop the habit of teaching their children on the importance of preserving the forests in order to secure the future. 

 ” Am calling on you people to take the climate change issues seriously and also develop a culture of planting trees just like our forefathers which we are enjoying today,” he said. 

And Senior Chief Luembe of Nyimba district said traditional leaders are custodians of the environment because most of the forests were domiciled in their chiefdoms.

He said traditional leaders will continue working together with the government of the day in order to foster development. 

The Chief thanked the government for facilitating partnerships in Chiefdoms with Bio-carbon partners which has taken development to the Chiefdoms. 

Chief Luembe added that his Chiefdom has over 60 boreholes which has led to his subjects not drinking water from shallows as a result of the partnerships with bio carbon patterns.  

He stated that people were no longer suffering from waterborne diseases after the drilling of boreholes from bio carbon benefits.  

“I want to inform you honourable members of parliament that my chiefdom does not have any shallow wells as boreholes are dotted every 3 to 5 kilometers” he said. 

And a beneficiary, Alita Banda, says they were given K10, 000 as a group which they shared K600 each for business and managed to generate a K16, 000 through village banking.

Ms Banda further said they saved again for another six months and managed to raise K21, 000 which they shared amongst the group.

She said the money raised was used to provide for their children’s basic needs such as buying school necessities. 

Another beneficiary, Majory Chikonda who is also a community teacher at Chilimba Primary School thanked Biocarbon partners and the community for putting her on a salary since 2017 which has been helping her sustain herself and the family.