EAMCEF issues 600m/- to support Tanga locals economically

TANGA: THE Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund (EAMCEF) has been issuing 600m/- yearly to the Tanga region, to be used in environmentally friendly economic activities to safeguard the ecosystem.

The funds are to be used in activities such as making power-saving stoves, fish farming, and beekeeping by the people who live near the natural mountain ranges, such as Amani and Nilo Nature Reserve Forest.

Tanga Regional Deputy Administrative Secretary (Production) Eng Emigidius Kasunzu said recently that EAMCEF has been supporting the region conservation for the last 10 ten years.

“The fund has been helping in mitigating the effects of climate change attributed to human activities in and around the nature forests,” Eng Kasunzu said in Tanga adding:

“It has greatly been of help to the citizens who have increased their income. Every year we receive the fund and channel it directly to the citizens”.

The secretary said the fund has been issued as a means to enable the residents to get alternative activities, instead of encroaching on the forests and degrading the environment.

Furthermore, they turn the residents to be environmental ambassadors and pass information to others.

Mr Kasunzu said the citizens have responded positively to the offer awarded, and have since increased their monthly income thus safeguarding the environment and in turn the weather has been friendly to both fauna and flora.

“There is a tree-planting project as well as those dealing with making power-saving stoves, bee keeping and fish-farming that have proved to be beneficial to our communities; reduce tree cutting as well as people graduate from poverty to be income-earning ones, they are now capable of living healthy life and take their children to school,” said Mr Kasunzu.

Among beneficiaries of the project are Shebomeza villagers in Amani Ward. They have been enabled to conserve land and water sources. Moreover, agricultural extension officers are enabled by the fund to visit the residents, teach and inspect the implementation of such projects.

One of farmers, Ms Zabibu Rajabu, said farmers now follow scientific guidelines in agriculture practices. He said the coming of EAMCEF has helped them to reduce or control soil erosion and plant various crops for maximum returns. She mentioned the crops preferred as maize, sugarcane, avocado and pineapple.

Muheza District Agricultural Officer, Mr Sylvester Mziray, said the project started in 2016 and until now, at least 120 growers in three villages in the district have benefitted from it economically.

EAMCEF is a long-term and reliable funding mechanism to support community development, biodiversity conservation and applied research projects, which promote the biological diversity, ecological functions and sustainable use of natural resources in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania.