Petauke Community Forests

Petauke Community Forests is situated in the Petauke District in the Eastern Province of Zambia.  It takes up all the areas of Chief Nyamphande, Chief Sandwe and Chief Mumbi.  It covers hundreds of square kilometers of once forested lands.  PCF have been planting trees in the area, working with Community Schools that are located in the area.  The main goal for its creation is to empower the people to take control of their environment as well as striving to help communities achieve sustainable lifestyles from agro forestry.  

As well as running reforestation programs, one of their big focuses is on equipping community schools with crucial supplies and blackboards.  There are 50 community schools in the district, servicing about 10,000 pupils between grade 1 and 4.  These schools are community funded and there is a real need for education at a village level, especially for girls.  26 blackboards had been put in 13 schools, but a big priority for PCF for 2008 was to supply blackboards to the remaining 37 schools.  Lush Charity Pot funds were used to fund the outstanding blackboards, of which 30 have been delivered to date, with the remaining 44 to be distributed over the next few months.  

The work of PCF is being driven by Garry Brooks, a retired businessman from Victoria, BC.  He is working with the Traditional Leaders and communities to do their part in meeting the challenges of everyday life as well as providing education on reforestation, global warming and climate change.  He's spent the last 5 years volunteering at village level as a community developer and has the following message for Lush customers and staff:

"I am overwhelmed!  We have a saying 'talk is cheap, it takes money to by whiskey!'  Those community schools will have blackboards.  The teachers, PTA's, students and Traditional Leaders are so grateful to Lush for your funding.  From the bottom of my heart, Thank You!"