“I love spending quality time here with my family. It’s bewitching beauty is amazing,” says a university lecturer in his early 30s as he strolls with his young spouse around a professionally tendered fish pond. The perennial supply of fresh water feeds the pond from an adjacent catchment area with a beautiful green canopy.

A soft breeze from Lura Catchment area produces a romantic whistling sound as it thrashes through an array of pine trees, sweet enough to the skin, ear and nose. The fresh air from the fish pond slithers with a skin soothing touch while spicing up relaxation on the fish pond embankments; a memorable experience.

The fragrance the trees convey, provides fresh air embellished in nature’s blossoming scent here. Besides pine trees, the catchment area is covered with indigenous tree species which are dominated by the Masuku species.

This is the ambiance any potential tourist would love to sample based on the university lecturer testimony.

The genesis of the fish pond project was born out of the understanding that the endowments in this village forest can provide a suitable ecosystem for biodiversity. Fishing is seamlessly adapting to the environment here.

“We started with an afforestation project to conserve trees, and then officials from the Fisheries Department advised us to construct a fish pond. They saw the viability of the proposed fish project, especially with the presence of trees around,” Khumbo Harawa, the project’s chairman says.

Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF) IV Public Works Programme, supported the construction of the fish pond which started with 21 people in 2016.

Just as the community started with afforestation, the journey has not stopped on fish pond project. Pressing ahead with their advanced plans, the community intends to make the catchment area a fully-fledged recreation site.

“The trees that we have planted and those growing naturally provide very beautiful scenery around the fish pond. Most people come with cars and take pictures against this beautiful background view. We want to make the place even more beautiful and attractive,” says Harawa.

In essence what started as an afforestation project is expanding into a multipurpose facility accommodating the fish pond and a potential future tourist attraction site.

The community plans to construct summer huts to provide shelter for future patronage. This is killing not only two birds with one stone but three big birds – afforestation, fish pond and recreation necessitated by the project’s clean environment.

These projects combined, hypothetically make Kajikasuku Fisheries Project at Lura in Traditional Authority Mwalweni in Rumphi, an appealing backdrop brimming with a smart environment management.