We are fortunate to meet so many people in Malawi with inspiring stories to share and Martha Ngwira is no exception.

Walking down a dusty track to see her tree nursery, we chatted to Martha about her life and why she was planting trees. “I am doing it for my children,” she said.

Her tree planting story begins years earlier. Together with her husband, they had planted 72 pine trees years before our tree planting project was introduced into the area. They wanted to provide a future for their children but sadly her husband died before he could see the positive impact this would have.

But how did these pine trees help, and how will the ones she is growing help in the future?

One of her son’s, Edrica, was selected to go to university. With expensive fees each term plus transport, accommodation, food, school resources and other costs on top, Marth harvested some of the pine trees to pay the costs.

The impact? Edrica is two years into his Agriculture degree and when he graduates next year, he wants to come home and help people in his community improve their farming. He also wants to set up a commercial farming business with the tools and knowledge he has gained from university.

For her youngest son Edwell, these pine tree seedlings are her gift to him. Martha, together with Edwell, is raising 5,200 seedlings and Edwell is grateful. He said, “I will raise these trees with my mother and eventually I will be able to help my family too.”

Edrica continued, “Our population is growing, we need more timber to build houses so planting trees is beneficial to the environment and to the community.”

Learn more about how we work with communities in Malawi to plant trees.