Mufindi residents enjoy conservation efforts outcomes

MUFINDI residents have every reason to smile, as hard work in conserving Uzungwa Scarp pays handsomely.

The villagers around the Uzungwa Scarp Nature Forest Reserve (USNFR), have, since 2013 initiated economic activities to earn a living and stop encroachment in the nature reserve forest for hunting and gathering.

Instead, they have since been engaging in economic activities, such as avocado and timber trees growing as well as beekeeping outside USNFR.

Speaking at Kipanga Village on Saturday, Mufindi District Agricultural Officer, Mr Vasco Mbuchi, said the district could now say openly that the project is paying off.

Mr Mbuchi who is also Fruits Growing Coordinator under the support of the Eastern Arc Montains Conservation Endowment Fund (EAMCEF) was upbeat, noting that as days unfold, more villagers were reached under the project.

He said the district authorities and EAMCEF are fully achieving the aim of supporting the villagers economically, and turn them into environmental conservation ambassadors, instead of setting fire on forest and cutting trees.

“We struggled a lot in the past, but now with EAMCEF support, we see success, especially in Mafinga, with villagers downing destruction tools and go for legally permitted economic activities,” he said.

The project has reached out to more than 700 people ( adults) and are well motivated, as they eye for avocado selling outside Iringa region and on cards are export plans.

“People are well-motivated, and as we speak, Mufindi District Authorities have initiated construction of Mufindi Processing and Packaging Centre that will assure farmers of a reliable market,” said the officer.

Furthermore, Mr Mbuchi unveiled that they motivate more people to engage in avocado growing, for their own health benefits, but financially because there are companies want to export, but need the fruits in huge volume.

He said avocado is one of the regional strategic crops, other being maize, cashew nut and sunflower. He hailed villagers for taking the project seriously.

Among beneficiaries of the project, is Ms Edaya Kisava, a Kipanga villager, who says has been growing avocado, noting that the project gets pace as almost all homesteads grow the fruit tree.

Ms Kisava noted that the villagers are under ‘Nguvu Kazi Daima Group’ that has since been supplied with 5,800 seedlings, with 4 500 already drafted for planting. In the past they used to be supplied with a mere 500 seedlings by the district, annually.

Kipanga Primary School Head Teacher, Mr Negro Chelesi, said avocado have since attracted more pupils to school, ditching truancy and now are in a good state of health. Pine trees are sold from time to time and income used to construct teachers’ houses, connect them to power and other needs procurement.

Kipanga Primary School pupils representatives, Esther Udamwa and Romes Nyambo expressed satisfaction on the business trees and avocado growing, saying they benefit healthwise but also with betterschol infrastructure.

Mufindi District Forest Officer, Mr Nuhu Kitaluka unveiled that since 2013 they received one million seedlings for the village. He said there are many success stories, one being that 258 households in the village work on at least one hectare of fruits and timber trees.

EAMCEF Southern Zone Projecrs Officer, Ms Rosemary Boniface, hailed villagers and leaders for engaging well and wisely in the project, as a means to earn a living, as well as conserving bionuai in and around the UNSFR. She said in the past situation had deteriorated, especially at Usiwa village.

UNSFR covers an area of of 32,763.2 ha with boundary length of about 126 km. It is located in the Southern Hghlands of Tanzania within Iringa region (Kilolo and Mufindi districts) and in Morogoro region (Kilombero districts), forming part of the largest mountain block of the Udzungwa Mountains, which are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains chain.

USNFR consists of tall luxurious sub montane forests and deciduous to semi-deciduous highland forests. USNFR vegetation is of the Eastern Arc Mountains type, with globally important for their biological values and nationally important for catchment values providing water to different part of Tanzania.