Breaking the cycle: Morogoro communities find prosperity in protecting mountains

Morogoro. Residents living near the Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania have undergone a remarkable transformation, adopting innovative climate adaptation methods that benefit both their communities and the environment.

This shift comes after years of practices that threatened the delicate mountain ecosystem.

The story unfolded in Msufini Village, Mkula Ward, Kilombero District, where the Norwegian Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Toni Tinnes, visited to witness the success of climate adaptation projects funded by the Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund (EAMCEF).

During the visit, Ambassador Tinnes also launched the honey processing, storage, and sales facility.

The projects worth Sh86 million aim at promoting beekeeping for biodiversity conservation and improving the livelihoods of communities near the Udzungwa Mountains.

From burning forests to beekeeping businesses

Speaking to The Citizen, the Wosia wa Baba Group secretary, Mr Rexoni Mtama, said he was leading a group of 20 conservationists that commenced beekeeping in 2006 after raising Sh50,000 in the capital.

Mr Mtama said later they secured funds from the EAMCEF that enabled them to increase traditional beehives from five to 91, provide beekeeping education to members, and distribute modern honey harvesting gear.

He said they later received modern beehives, as well as specialised honey packaging equipment, weighing scales, processing tools, and a sales facility.

"In 2023, we managed to increase honey production to 450 litres. A total of 267,000 litres of honey have been harvested since 2012, generating Sh26.7 million for members,” he said.

“During this period, we have managed to support the establishment of 14 other groups through the provision of 40 beehives. We have also constructed a honey collection and processing centre,” he added.

Furthermore, the group has helped members transform their economies, reduced indiscriminate forest burning, and contributed to the prosperity of the surrounding community through the issuance of insurance coverage to the less fortunate.

The Agriwezesha director, Ms Degracia Ignas, said that through the EAMCEF funding, the women have managed to implement the mushroom farming project in four areas of the Morogoro municipality.

“The women's projects have significantly transformed the lives of residents economically. However, the projects aim to prevent and conserve the Udzungwa Mountains from degradation,” he said.

“The women are assisted in obtaining mushroom production equipment, seeds, training, and linking them to markets after harvests," she remarked, adding that the group started with 20 women.

Mbete Mushroom Farming Group chairperson, Ms Zena Feruzi, said its members have commenced indoor mushroom farming, therefore abandoning the collection and trading of firewood, an exercise that adversely destroyed the environment.

A group member, Ms Sikudhani Mustapha said the project has enabled members to abandon previous activities that harmed the environment especially mountains and water sources.

“We have currently focused on managing our crops, increasing members’s earnings as one kilogramme of mushroom is sold for up to Sh10,000, which is relatively higher than traditional crops,” she explained.

The natural resources advisor for the Morogoro Region, who doubles as the regional wildlife officer, Mr Joseph Chuwa, emphasised the strong link between poverty and environmental degradation.

He underscored the importance of strengthening collaboration between the government and development partners in the implementation of economic projects aimed at addressing the challenge of environmental destruction.

“Failure to address the poverty of people living around the mountains will prohibit the country from achieving its intended conservation goals,” he said.

“What comes from these mountains, including water and food, benefits all Tanzanians; therefore, scaling up collaboration among stakeholders should be overemphasised," he added.

The Kilombero district commissioner, Mr Dunstan Kyobya, commended the implementation of projects, saying they have significantly promoted biodiversity conservation.

The fund’s executive director, Mr Francis Sabuni, said the fund has disbursed $13 million in the last 12 years (2011–2023) for the implementation of different projects.

He said out of the funded amount, Sh8 billion was allocated for the execution of conservation projects, with Sh4 billion, equivalent to 50 percent of the funds, directed to community projects aimed at poverty alleviation and income generation.

Furthermore, Mr Sabuni said 35 percent of the funds were allocated for conservation and protection efforts, while the remaining 15 percent was directed to research projects conducted by research institutions and universities.

"We support conservation efforts through various projects, including initiatives to preserve and protect conservation areas in the Eastern Arc Mountains,” he said.

He said currently, they are working in nine areas, including eight natural environmental reserves in the Eastern Arc Mountains and one national park in every 12 local government authorities (LGAs) in Tanzania.

"We implement community development projects to reduce poverty among communities surrounding these areas, as poverty is the number one enemy of environmental conservation,” he said, adding that the projects help citizens alleviate poverty.

He said incidents of bushfires have significantly declined in the funded areas due to discouraged human activities.

Mushrooms not mountains: Women find new income source

EAMCEF project officer for the southern zone, Ms Rosemary Boniphace, said empowering women's groups living close to mountain reserves was one of the fund’s strategies.

“We believe that once the women are empowered, the whole community will acquire the ability to focus on conservation matters. We use the project to educate citizens on the importance of conservation and provide them with alternative livelihoods,” she said.

"Many of these women used to rely on firewood collection and stone quarrying to sustain their lives, therefore posing huge environmental concerns. However, this project calls on citizens to grow mushrooms and earn money as an alternative,” she added.

During the event, the Norwegian Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Tinnes, reiterated the commitment of his government to continue collaborating with Tanzania in the implementation of different projects in conservation, climate change mitigation, tourism, and agriculture, among others.

"We are pleased to see changes brought about by projects under Norwegian funding, including those that promote a clean energy agenda, he said, pledging to strengthen cooperation.