Chizala’s household, haven of fruit trees

Mackson Chizala  of Mwendapadera Village, Paramount Chikulamayembe’s Area in Rumphi, a district seated about 70 kilometres further north of Mzuzu City, the administrative headquarters of Northern Malawi, is a Lead Farmer and a beneficiary of PRIDE/ERASP projects. His base is a home to beautiful tree nursery and an orchard.  “I plan to have my house surrounded by different fruit trees because I know how important fruits are to my health and the health of my family members. This is the beginning of that dream,” he says as he shows us one of the tree seedlings and the nursery. The nursery has about 5,000 tree seedlings. “I am just hosting the nursery but in essence, it belongs to the community,” he sheds more light. Community members around Mwendapadera formed a group which received tree seedlings and the polythene tubes from PRIDE/ERASP. Once the trees are ready, the community members will plant some in a community orchard with the remaining ones planted in their individual plots.