Conservation Pays! And villages in Manyara Region have discovered that they can also rake treasures from wildlife found within their precinct.
On the other hand in order to ensure that wildlife and natural resources conservation programs bear fruits and remain sustainable, authorities in Manyara Region are actively involving local communities.
“Nature and wildlife protection must complement humanity,” explains the Assistant Regional Administrative Secretary Faraja Gideon Ngerageza, adding that the new conservation model for Manyara involves active participation of villagers.
“We must learn from history, because all conservation efforts that have been undertaken without the involvement of people at the grassroots failed all over the world,” Ngerageza maintained while addressing members of the Journalists Environmental Association of Tanzania (JET).
The scribes were on study tour in the region under the ongoing USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili activity.
According to the official, Manyara is succeeding in all activities of environment and wildlife conservation because ordinary residents are spearheading the missions and benefiting in the process.
The Babati District Executive Director Anna Philipo Mbogo explained that there are ten villages in the locality that have pooled in resources to establish the Burunge Wildlife Management Area (BWMA) mapped within 283 square kilometers of Rural Babati.
“These are among the direct beneficiaries of participatory approach in conservation programs,” said DED Mbogo adding that the villages have been earning more than 2 billion/- per season with each of the hamlets getting over 100 million/- from the split.
The ten villages involved in the local Wildlife Management Area program include Mwada, Ngolei, Sangaiwe, Kakoi, Minjingu, Olasiti, Maweni, Magara, Manyara and Vilima Viatu.
“But a village like Sangaiwe, which directly borders Tarangire National Park, runs a separate conservation and tourism programs that generate an additional 800 million/- into its coffers,” pointed out the District Executive.
In addition to entering into contracts with investors as well as conservation outfits like the Chem-Chem Association (CCA), the villages have also been receiving support from the United States Agency for International Development through the USAID ‘Tuhifadhi Maliasili,’ activity.
On his part the Manyara Region’s Environment Management Officer, Michael Gwandu said there are other 15 villages currently also reaping handsomely from carbon trading activities undertaken through the Yaeda-Eyasi program.
The environmental program covers mostly the Mbulu and Kiteto Districts of Manyara as well as parts of Karatu in Arusha Region.
Villages include, Endesh, Jobaj, Domanga, Endanyawish, Endamaghan, Mbuga-Nyekundu, Eshkesh, Dumbechand, Yaeda Chini, Mikocheni, Mongo wa Mono, Hadzabe Mongo, Hadzabe Eyasi, Hadzabe Domanga and Qangdend.
These villages earned 4 billion/- between them and a bank Cheque to that effect was officially presented to them by the Minister of State, Selemani Jaffo.
But according to Gwandu, local women groups have also been establishing environment friendly income-generating activities to complement tourism and conservation efforts in the precinct.