EAMCEF hailed for saving trees, enabling villagers
MUFINDI District authority has hailed the Eastern Arc Mountains Endowment Fund (EAMCEF) for safeguarding forests and economically empowering villages near the forests.
Mufindi District Commissioner (DC), Mr Saad Mtambule, said in Mufindi recently that he has known the Trust Fund for a long time and realized that it was walking its talk in terms of implementing its long-term activities.
His list included reliable funding mechanism to support communities’ development, biodiversity conservations and applied research projects.
“I know well EAMCEF and make follow up day in day out; I am happy with the way it functions. It has tremendously decreased deforestation, it has made sure more trees grow to the forests make thick and now we are enjoying the good weather, with rain in most parts of the year,” said Mr Mtambule during a tour of journalists with EAMCEF officials to familiarize with different projects the Fund supports.
He said that Mufindi has many sources of water due to conservation efforts by EAMCEF, adding that the Fund also releases finance and training to villagers, on how best to come up with economic activities as well as own other sources of power instead of firewood and charcoal obtained by cutting trees in the forests.
Citizens have, instead, by EAMCEF’s support, planted trees on more than 40 acres, including fruit trees such as avocado that benefit the villagers in terms of health. When they prune the trees they can use the pruned branches for cooking.
Equally, women have been empowered to have sources of income, something he said, has helped much in reducing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) as they no longer depend entirely on their husbands.
Other activities the villagers are engaged in are in beekeeping and making power saving stoves. They use honey as a supplement to food but also sell to make money. He said Mufindi District authority works well with EAMCEF and are now extending the activities even out of the Eastern Arc Mountains.
He noted that in the past they had many incidents of fire in and around the forest, but as of now no more reported cases. EAMCEF promotes the biological diversity, ecological functions and sustainable use of natural resources in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania.
EAMCEF Southern Zone Projects Officer, Ms Rosemary Boniface, said EAMCEF’s mission is to see that, the Eastern Arc Mountains and the people who depend on them live in harmony as one sustainable ecosystem.
“The forests and mountains will provide goods and services – from water to electrical power, from food and cash crops to medicines- for the people of Tanzania. And the world community will benefit from a protected biodiversity hotspot and a major carbon sink reducing global warming and mitigating climate change impacts,” she said.
She noted that they also work with school children, so that they grow up with conservation mentality and also when back at their homes plant trees and share the training with their parents, relatives and friends.
