Wells for Zoë Nursery & Planting Manager at Enyezini (2021-2022 Season)

Last year in October 2020, Wells for Zoë visited Enyezini and introduced the forestation project in the area. The aim of the project was to plant indigenous trees to reform natural vegetation which was deforested. The land to plant the trees was in Enyezini Mountain.  I was given the responsibility to manage the project so I moved to the area from my home on the WfZ Sustainable farm in Lusangazi.

On 28^th Sept 2020 workers were recruited and they were 29 and later on others were added which made the number to 39. The work started on the on following day which was on 29^th Sept. The task given was to plant 700,000 trees.  The workers were very delighted with the project since they were paid wages every fortnight.

On 30^th Sept 2020, the office brought us polythene tubes and there were 250,000. Therefore, on the following day potting started which was on 1^st Oct and every individual was asked to pot not less than 1,000 tubes per day. The first seed delivery was on 15^th Oct 2020 and there were four species of seeds which included: Mwabvi, M’bawa, Mkunkhu and Mthethe. Then potting finished on 21^st Oct 2020, and sowing seeds commenced on 22^nd Oct 2020.

On 14^th Dec 2020, 150 more dayworkers were recruited, mainly for digging holes and planting trees. On 23^rd Dec 2020, we started planting trees and we finished planting process on 3^rd Feb 2021.

Total trees planted were 802,507.

The impact of the project to the area

The head teacher has appreciated Wells for Zoë for bringing the project to Enyezini because his school was in jeopardy due to the gullies formed by the deforestation, and he hopes that it will be restored. All the people are very happy with the project and really the area will be improved on both sides: the vegetation as well as the part of soil erosion (gullies).

Some people with sharp minds have improved their daily living through the wages they were given by maintaining their infrastructures and some even bought pigs and goats to tame. They also bought cow and pig manure to improve their yields while others have children who are in secondary school, so they have been paying school fees using the same wages. Also, some have orphans, and the wages were helping them in caring for those orphans. Another important factor is that most people have learnt how to operate nursery management. All in all, the area will have good aeration and will receive enough rainfall.

Many thanks once more to the workers. Food was provided to everyone each and every day and also people relaxed at lunch consuming the privileged food supported by the organisation.

Keep on doing that because people are so grateful.