Lovemore Khomo | January 30, 2026
News Brief
In Malawi’s Salima District, bamboo farmer Sonny Chanzie is helping communities tackle deforestation while earning sustainable incomes. Near Lake Malawi, Chanzie trains the Kasinjamchewere community group to craft household items and beehives from bamboo, an alternative to timber that regenerates within weeks. His bamboo farming supports reforestation, protects watersheds, and generates steady income for his family. Women in the group report improved livelihoods through bamboo value chains, while forestry officials promote bamboo alongside trees to restore forest cover and address climate change.
It is a hot Thursday afternoon, with temperatures hovering around 33 degrees Celsius, just 400 metres from the shores of Lake Malawi. Sonny Chanzie, 43, a bamboo farmer from Mikuju village in Traditional Authority Ndindi, Salima District, is leading members of the Kasinjamchewere community group, teaching them how to craft household items from bamboo as a way of tackling deforestation while supporting reforestation efforts.
Mr. Chanzie says, “I have been a bamboo farmer for many years. It began after my parents advised us to value bamboo because they cared deeply about the environment and nature. I followed their example and later bought my own farm, where I grow bamboo.”
He says bamboo farming is part of his broader forestry conservation efforts, which aim to restore watersheds and regenerate lost forest cover through planting and natural regeneration.
Mr. Chanzie says, “Bamboo and trees are very different. Bamboo regenerates within a few weeks after harvesting, while trees take many years. That is why my family and I avoid cutting trees. Bamboo helps us protect them.”
Because bamboo regenerates quickly, he says it offers both environmental and economic benefits. He says, “After harvesting, it grows back within weeks, and after a year I can harvest from the same spot again.”
Each year, Mr. Chanzie sells more than 250 bundles of bamboo, each containing 20 poles, filling a seven-tonne truck. He says, “From bamboo sales alone, I earn about US$1,400 (approximately 2.5 million Malawian kwacha) annually.” He adds, “I also use the same bamboo to make handcrafted products, which support my household on a daily basis.”
Mr. Chanzie says the income has transformed his family’s life. He says, “It has helped me pay school fees for my children—one is in university and another in secondary school. I also support my nephew’s secondary education.”
Although he often works alone, Mr. Chanzie says he regularly collaborates with the Kasinjamchewere community group, which includes seven men and 18 women. The group has adopted bamboo as a value chain, producing tables, chairs, and beehives for sale.
Mr. Chanzie says, “Instead of cutting down trees to make furniture and other products, we now use bamboo.” He adds, “We are testing innovative approaches that protect trees at all costs.”
One of the women in the group, Pilirani Gondwe, 35, a mother of five from Mikuju village, says learning bamboo cultivation and craftsmanship has opened new income opportunities for her.
Mrs. Gondwe says, “I am learning more about bamboo farming and how to use it to make different products.” She adds, “We share the income from sales, which has really helped me. Before, I stayed at home without work. Now I can provide for my family.”
She says the group is also making bamboo beehives, which will allow them to produce and sell honey. She says, “This will help us earn more income and sustain our households.”
Another group member, Liness Kamphonje, a mother of four, says she joined the bamboo value chain in June 2025 to improve her family’s livelihood.
Mrs. Kamphonje says, “Life in the village is very challenging.” She adds, “Staying at home without engaging in activities was not helping me. That is why I joined bamboo farming and the value chain.”
She says she is grateful for the impact the initiative has had on her life. She says, “This bamboo initiative has been a game changer for me.”
Salima District Forest Officer Adam Jason says farmers are encouraged to grow both bamboo and trees as part of efforts to restore forest cover, protect the environment, and respond to climate change.
Mr. Jason says, “Farmers face serious environmental challenges. Bamboo is a practical solution because it grows faster than trees, which can take many years to mature. Bamboo can reach maturity in as little as one year.”
He adds that farmers are also trained to add value to bamboo through handicrafts, including chairs, tables, and beehives, enabling them to earn sustainable incomes.
Mr. Jason says planting both bamboo and trees “allow forests to regenerate naturally.” He adds, “By using bamboo as an alternative to timber for handicrafts, we can reduce pressure on already depleted forests.”
