Meet A Farmer: Dorothy & Vekelani Nthala

Dorothy & Vekelani Nthala

Community: Tchale, Malawi
Year joined: 2008
Number of trees planted: 600 trees in 18×100-meter segments of boundary plantings
Carbon benefit created by Sinoliyamu: 147 tonnes of CO2
Earnings to date: $381
Total expected earnings: $635 (over 10 years, based on successful maintenance of plantings)

Dorothy and Vekelani Nthala wanted to have impact on their own lives as well as their community’s. Planting trees with Trees of Hope Project seemed ideal, as they recognized the ability of trees to improve the soils. As they are subsistence farmers, soil health is integral to the success of their crop yields, and thus an improvement in soil quality related to the planting of trees is critically important to their well-being. The couple joined and started planting their trees in 2008.

They’ve used the revenue from carbon credits they’ve generated to purchase iron corrugated sheets for their house. The iron sheets have saved them from worrying about the rains since their roof no longer leaks, unlike the grass-thatched roof they had previously. The couple says that their trees also provide poles for constructing their tobacco-curing sheds and firewood for cooking. They noted that the soil fertility of their field is improving with the help of the trees they are growing.

Support Farmers Like Dorothy & Vekelani

Create income for farming families of the Clinton Development Initiative’s Trees of Hope project here and learn more about the project at COTAP.org/Malawi.

How Your Offsetting Changes Lives