Chifuno Changa Green Initiative

‘Chifuno Changa Green Initiative’ was founded due to an urgent need to preserve the green spaces in Malawi. It was founded specifically for Dedza Mountain which is under threat. For the last six years, the waste from Dedza town (population: 31,000) has been disposed of in the mountain in the absence of proper waste management protocols. Moreover, over the last 15 years, there has been illegal felling of trees in the mountain. 

If we are granted the funding it would be used in the following ways:

• To clear up all the waste on the mountain (estimated to be over 4000 tonnes of waste) 
• To re-plant at least 10,000 trees and ensure that a tree management plans exists to prevent future illegal tree felling
• To create educational material that will be taught in schools to bring awareness in the communities in Dedza on the importance of environmental conservation. We are fully aware that in order for the above two changes to be effectively implemented and sustainable, there needs to be a behavioural shift and mind set change around how we perceive our forests, mountains and other green spaces.  

The work outlined would require approximately US$50,000.

Chifuno Changa Green Initiative (CCGI) was founded in 2020 by Chifuno Stevens. Chifuno grew up at the foot of Dedza Mountain and as an avid runner, Chifuno spends a lot of time running through the mountain. This is where she has been witnessing the mass deterioration of the mountain. Within six months of moving back from Canada to Dedza, Chifuno founded CCGI with her sister (Tilele McLean) and a family friend (Masauko Chamkakala). CCGI is a non-profit organisation, 100% volunteer-led with no salaries or director’s fees. CCGI’s primary aim is to engage local communities and youth groups to bring awareness to the importance of protecting and conserving the green spaces/environment in Malawi in order to promote socio-economic development within the country. 

The objectives of CCGI include:

• Removing the waste on Dedza Mountain in partnership with other stakeholders
• Replanting 10,000 trees in Dedza Mountain with a tree management plan in place
• Working with local communities to raise awareness on the importance of conserving natural resources 
• Teaching women in the local communities how to turn waste into economic opportunities
• Educating the Malawian youth on the importance of protecting the natural environment

It is widely accepted that the management of Solid waste is a global challenge. In sub-Saharan Africa, 62% of the population live in slums with no access to proper waste management systems. On average 8,500 tonnes of waste is generated daily in Malawi. In Malawi’s three main cities, only 30% of the waste is collected, with the remainder being disposed of in pits dug outside homes, along the roadsides, near rivers or forests, community skips or burnt. The proportion of waste that is collected in other urban areas is much lower than 30%. This is the case in Dedza town, where the low-lying areas of mountain have become the designated dump sites. 

Since its launch, CCGI has championed the waste clean-up of Dedza Mountain in partnership with the local government. The activities to date include:

• Hosting a run challenge fundraiser (to the mountain peak at 2198 metres) to raise awareness and funds to start the clean-up activities
• Creating a short documentary on the waste practices happening in Dedza Mountain
• Participating in monthly clean-up activities in Dedza town
• Empowering women by starting the first ever women's environmental group in Dedza District 

CCGI strongly believes in the saying 'if you educate a woman, you educate a nation'. As such, CCGI is striving to put women at the forefront of tackling environmental issues in Dedza. This year we formed the first ever environmental women's group in Dedza. The aim being to raise environmental awareness through actively taking part in clean-ups, planting trees, tree management and giving talks to different households within the local communities on best environmental practices. The long-term goal for CCGI is for women to lead on reusing and recycling waste through methods that add value to their livelihoods. 

CCGI is working to bring a behavioural and mindset change to the local communities. This will be achieved by providing environmental educational material to the youth that will be taught and demonstrated. A long-term objective is to influence the Malawi government to introduce the learnings from the Dedza Mountain project into the national school syllabus, to prevent similar issues from recurring elsewhere. 

CCGI is founded on actively involving community members to find solutions that are specific to the environment that they live in. CCGI wants to change the way that local Dedza communities perceive the environment to protect its natural resources.

CCGI’s successes to-date include: 

• Hosting a fundraiser titled 'Dedza Mountain Run Challenge' to raise awareness and funds to start the waste clean-up activities in September 2020.
• Launching and hosting the Dedza mountain waste clean-up in October 2020. The event was attended by the Minister of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hon. Nancy Tembo, and other local government officials. Over a two-week period approximately 80 tonnes of waste were cleared and properly disposed of.
• Forming Dedza’s first women’s environmental group in January 2021. The group has since planted 300 trees and have been tending to their trees.
• CCGI attends monthly clean-up activities with volunteers in Dedza town led by the District Council.
• CCGI uses social media (Facebook and Instagram) to spread awareness and often collaborates with media houses.
• The phrase 'no man is an island' resonates with CCGI. As such, CCGI has collaborated with the Save The Future Foundation Malawi on several occasions to show solidarity with their environmental activities as well as to raise the awareness of CCGI. 

These examples highlight how CCGI has achieved its successes so far and the impact it is having on the local community, local and national government and wider members of the public.