An Irish Charity-Trócaire has affirmed its support towards community empowerment initiatives to protect biological diversity around wildlife protected areas in the country.
Country Director for Trócaire in Malawi, Jeannette Wijnants, made the statement during a monitoring visit on community interventions aimed at enhancing livelihood options of tackling effects of climate change around concession areas in Nsanje and Chikwawa districts.
European Union through Trócaire in Malawi is supporting the Building Resilient Communities around Wildlife Protected Areas Project conceived with interest of enhancing livelihood in communities around Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve in Nsanje, Lengwe National Park in Chikwawa and Kasungu National Park.
The three year project is being implemented in partnership with organizations namely; Churches Action in Relief and Development-CARD, Circle for Integrated Community Development-CICOD, Civil Society Network on Climate Change-CISONECC and Youth Net and Counselling-YONECO.
Through the project, targeted beneficiaries are supported with livelihood activities like seed multiplication, weaving, juice production, livestock farming and provision of water points for both livestock and wild animals among others.
Speaking after appreciating some of the interventions, Wijnants, expressed satisfaction and optimism that the project will ensure that people are taking responsibility of natural resources and are not compelled to indulge themselves in environmental malpractices since they have other alternatives to earn a decent living.
“Empowering people not only to have water but also to generate other income and resources is already bringing a change. So, this project is not only going to look at the preservation and conservation of wildlife but also ensuring that people take responsibility and have alternatives so that they will not be compelled to do poaching or charcoal burning,” she said.
She added that there is need for more youth and women involvement especially in decision making roles.
“We have heard from young people that they would love to be more involved and sometimes to work with youth we also need to prepare the adults to make them aware that young people have things to say and can make decisions. Likewise for women and men, I think there are areas that we can also still improve to make sure that women also take on leadership roles,” said Wijnants.
Group Village Headman Kamberengende of Nsanje noted that the interventions have already started showing positive results stressing that eradication of poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and meet social needs whilst addressing climate change and wildlife protection.
“Previously, people from this area used to encroach Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve and destroy natural resources but initiatives like the goat pass-on, standard bee-hives and the solar energy kiosk have really helped in empowering communities and conserve the environment,” he said.
