More than 700 school children and other community members attended the 2024 World Environment Day commemoration in Mulekatembo village, Ntonga ward, which is the next-door ward to Senje where the Mafinga project is based.

WeForest’s Haggai Mutale Mulenga was a guest on a recent episode of My Environment, a regular programme exploring at environmental and climate change issues and broadcast by KBN Television in Zambia.

These members of the Mwita Community Forest Management Group (CFMG) are gathered around a manual honey press, extracting honey from locally nurtured beehives for their first-ever harvest!

This photo clearly shows how slash-and-burn agriculture is encroaching on the forest in the Mafinga Hills.

As in many of WeForest’s other project locations, honey production will be an important forest-friendly alternative source of income in Mafinga.

A Farmer Field Day took place at the end of April, with over 200 farmers from 15 villages in attendance.

In February and March, 50 farmers that had already signed up to the Sustainable Agriculture programme received seeds and other materials – pesticides not included! – to set up their plots.

The 8 Honorary Forest Officers (HFOs) that patrol and enforce the law in our restoration areas received the final part of their training in Community Forest Management and Governance in March.

This beekeeping equipment has been supplied to the Community Forest Management Group on behalf of WECSZ and WeForest by the Provincial Forestry Officer.

The Community Forest Ranger (CFR) system was set up in accordance with the Community Forest Regulations of 2018 that provide for establishment of Honorary Forest Officers (HFOs).