MEN: Tending forests for economic sustainability…..

The term ‘men’ has connotations that come along with it, peculiarly derived from the gender roles accorded to the male species by society. Men are the breadwinners in most societies and given their physical potential, have roles that command more power and energy. 1st Timothy 5 vs 8 read ” But if any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (English Revised Version), “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (King James Bible). The biblical men were defined by hard work they put in for the family. Genesis 3 vs 17 and 19, “men were cursed to hard labor for survival: “by the sweat of your brows you will eat your food.”

The need to toil for survival has created an undeniable bond between men and forestry. In the old days trees were habitats for animals, men hunted for meat. Even today, men remain reliant on trees for food such as madora, mushroom and fruits. However the shift in world economics to modernized, highly industrialized societies, have given trees a new economic significance to men in their quest for survival. Trees are today used for commercial purposes that include energy, furniture making, baking bricks, construction and agricultural processes such as tobacco curing.

Celebrating the significant relationship between men and trees, Environmental Buddies Zimbabwe Trust donated twenty (20) trees to men at St Timothy United Methodist Church. This move was geared at making men tend for the trees they rely on for survival in a goal to encourage the sustainability of forestry for future economic and social uses.