1. NATIONAL YOUTH NETWORK ON CLIMATE CHANGE (NYNCC)
A REPORT
ON
TREE PLANTING EXERCISE
SUBMITTED TO:
LOTTERY CLUB OF BWAILA
SUBMITTED BY: NYNCC SECRETARIAT
CONTACT DETAILS:
PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
BEHIND MALANGALANGA OIBM BRANCH
IN NTALEYA BUILDING
Post Address: P.O. Box 607, Lilongwe 3
Cell: +265 999 621 845/+265999660014
Email: malawi.nyncc@gmail.com
MARCH, 2014

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1. INTRODUCTION
The National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYNCC), a youth led network working with youth based organizations, community based organizations, primary, secondary schools, universities and likeminded individuals facilitated a tree planting exercise against climate change between February 22 and February 28, 2014 targeting various primary and secondary schools in TA Njewa. This report therefore highlights the activity and outcome. The tree planting exercise was made possible with support from Press Trust through Lottery Club of Bwaila. 2. OBJECTIVE OF TREE PLANTING
o The main objective of this exercise was to promote the ‘growing of trees’ for environmental rehabilitation and as a lifestyle o The other objective was also to enhance participants’ deeper understanding on climate change and environmental management especially, the meaning of climate change, its indicators, causes, its effect on human life and how we can mitigate its negative impact and e resilient to it. 3. TARGETED SCHOOLS
Prior to the launch of national tree planting season, NYNCC received request of seedlings totalling to 30,000 from various primary, secondary, community based organizations and youth organizations to take part in this annual event while on the other helping rehabilitate the environment in their communities. NYNCC was not able to meet the demand due to limited resource base and relied mainly on well wisher such as Plan Malawi, Press Trust, Lilongwe City Assembly and many others. With good working relationship between Press Trust and Lottery club of Bwaila, NYNCC managed to secure 4000 seedlings comprising of mtangatanga, msambamafumu, msangu, mthethe, m’bawa and acacia. These seedlings were distributed to the following schools: Sankhani Primary School, Air Wing Primary ,Muzi Primary School, Njewa Primary School, Dzenza Secondary, and Kabwabwa CDSS.
4. DESIGN OF THE TREE PLANTING EXERCISE
The youth tree planting exercise was planned to be officially launched at Sankhani Primary School and there after various schools carry out the tree planting at school level. The launch at Sankhani Primary could have also provided a platform for tree planting demonstration by experts and officials, experience sharing, knowledge sharing and also how a short lesson on how we needed trees more than ever before, apart from being platform for awareness on general climate change.
However the launch could not go as planned due to the demise of Njewa Primary School head teacher and instead members agreed just to have small gathering at Sankhani Primary School as a demonstration. This affected the whole plan however because most of the planned activities highlighted above could not be fulfilled.

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5. PARTICIPANTS
The tree planting exercise against climate change was meant for the children and youth of the age group from 10 to 25 years and slightly above. These included youth leaders, students, gap students and young workers. A total 500 children and youth, 15 teachers and 8 members of NYNCC graced the exercise in various schools targeted. They came from primary and secondary schools like Sankhani Primary, Air Wing Primary, Kabwabwa and Dzenza Secondary school. NYNCC was represented by Dominic Amon Nyasulu (Programme Manger)
6. HIGHLIGHT OF ACTIVITY i. Short Presentation on Climate Change
The short presentation on climate change was tackled by Dominic Nyasulu from NYNCC at Dzenza Secondary, Kabwabwa and Air wing Primary on different dates between February 22 to February 28, 2014. The presentation was mainly very short and youth friendly as it tackled key issues about environmental degradation and climate change such as the causes, short and long term effects, actions against it and at local level the climate change contributing factor is due to human behaviours mainly deforestation and by making of charcoal. The presentation also challenged school management, community leaders and youth in general to come up with mechanism on how the to improve the survival rate of planted trees and has latest research shows that only 60% of trees being planted do not survive due to various reasons hence wastage of resources.
ii. Actual tree planting
After NYNCC had finished facilitating the distribution of seedling to the four targeted schools, individual school schedules were developed that NYNCC facilitated. The scheduled school tree planting exercise was a good way of mobilizing and making sure that more children and youth at school level participate. NYNCC facilitated the exercise at Dzenza Secondary, Kabwabwa CDSS and Air Wing Primary School. And about 4,000 trees were

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planted covering school surroundings. Dominic Nyasulu coordinated and facilitated these exercise at school level.
7. OUTCOMES OF THE TREE PLANTING EXERCISE
The following outcomes were achieved;
NYNCC achieved the objective set for the exercise
o The whole exercise managed to plant about 4000 trees
o The tree planting exercise assembled about 500 children and youth beyond a target of 400
o The exercise achieved a united effort and platform by children and youths from different secondary and primary schools in the fight against climate change through tree planting and increased awareness on impact of climate change among the youth and children
o Expressed and documented commitment by climate school coordinators, youth leaders, children and youth in dealing with climate change issues
o Financial support through Lottery Club of Bwaila from Press Trust came at the right time.
8. RESOLUTIONS
At the end of this exercise NYNCC received suggestions and resolution that should be put forward to the supporting institutions as follows:
Resolution 1: All children and youth from different schools and communities should actively participate in the fight against climate change through various initiatives to sustain their future
Resolution 2: The participating schools encouraged NYNCC to continue facilitating or organizing more youth and children climate change through capacity building, awareness and tree planting in the future.
Resolution 3: The rally asked all schools involved in this programme to come up with a project on climate change targeting school and surrounding communities.
Resolution 4: The schools asked Plan Malawi to morally, technically, material and even financially continue supporting NYNCC so that it continues reaching out to many children and youth in Malawi and also that mainly the tree planting exercise to be done at the begging of rainy season and should have follow up activities to improve survival rate of trees.

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o It was also suggested and recommended that NYNCC should monitor how these resolutions will be implemented and also where possible coordinate the youth and children to ensure that the resolutions are implemented successfully.
9. MAJOR SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES FOR TREE PLANTING EXERCISE
Successes registered include the following;
 NYNCC successfully facilitated and coordinated the tree planting exercise.
 NYNCC also imparted knowledge and information on climate change that assisted in good future response
 Children and youth were to demonstrate how various tree species are planted
 Children and youth were able to understand easily climate change terminologies
 Mobilization of the children and youth to take part in the tree planting exercise
 Mobilization of financial and material support for the tree planting exercise from Press Truss through Lottery Club of Bwaila.
10. CHALLENGES FACED WERE MINOR, BUT THEY INCLUDE:
 The demise of Njewa teacher contributed negatively to the actual plan
 Procurement of seedling was done very late and contributed to late planting in some areas
 Inadequate number of seedlings
 Some of schools wanted fruit seedling which were not made available to limited resources
 Limited financial resources to provide transport to all children
 High demand not met by NYNCC
11. NARRATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT
The tree planting exercise was technically supported by Lottery Club of Bwaila and financially supported by Press Truss. The whole tree planting exercise consumed money amounting K300, 000 that was directly financed to procurement and transportation of seedlings to planting site.
12. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
NYNCC would like to thank Press Trust for the Financial and material towards the tree planting exercise. Press Trust directly provided funding amounting to K300, 000.00 used for both procurement and transportation of seedlings. We would also like to thank Lottery Club of Bwaila for facilitating this support. Without them, this financial support could have hardly being there.
We also thank the PEA Mrs. Pokapoka for working tirelessly and making this exercise a success. NYNCC would also like to thank head teachers for allowing pupils and students to

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be part of tree planting exercise at school level. Thanks also go to youth leaders and school coordinators for assisting in mobilizing the children and youth for the same. Without children and youth the tree planting exercise would have been a failure.
13. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, NYNCC would like to note that the tree planting exercise was a successful way of mitigating the impact of climate change and also a way of environmental rehabilitation, and also as a way of spreading messages on climate change among youth and children in schools and communities. It showcased the willingness of children and youth to take part in matters of national interest. On this basis NYNCC would like to thank Press Truss and Lottery Club for financially and technically supporting the initiative by the youth and children and we would also like to take this opportunity to ask for more support from Press Trust as well as many other stakeholders.