VILLAGE PROJECTS
Each village – represented through their Natural Resource Management Committee – selects what they think of as Development Priorities, and in partnership with MWP, works at reducing this list. MWP insists that each and every project undertaken must have a strong community contribution. This demonstrates that the village members genuinely want the project, by committing time and energy and once complete, encourages a sense of achievement, co-operation and ownership within the community.
There are 15 villages, falling under 6 Community Chieftainships within the Manda Wilderness Project.
Current Projects
Primary Schools – six schools have been built, or are currently under construction, to date, with funds raised through a combination of donations from guests at Nkwichi Lodge, schools in London, Church groups across the UK and private donations.
Each of the six villages agreed to make their own bricks, transport sand and water. MWL agreed to provide the other materials such as cement, roofing irons, rafters and when necessary skilled labour, such as brick layers or carpenters.
After each school had been constructed, the Provincial Government of Niassa, sent two or three teachers. Below is a summary of current progress on each of these schools:
Mbueca: The main building has been completed, and the school is already operational and being used by 5 classes of children, with two teachers. In 2007, wooden door and window shutters were completed and now all that remains is to paint the inside walls and provide furniture.
Mala: This school is also near to completion and is already in use. The concrete floor was completed in 2007 and the next steps are to plaster and paint the inside walls, build doors and window shutters and then provide furniture. There are also two teachers house, one of which is completed, while the other still requires some work including plastering the walls and laying a concrete floor.
Mataka: In 2007 some work was carried out on the roof of this school to ensure it was water-tight, ready for the rainy season. The main structure is now fully completed and the building is in use. It is now ready for doors, window shutters, and furniture - funds are currently being raised for this.
Chigoma: Chigoma already had a good school building, but the village committee decided that they needed an additional classroom due to the number of pupils. The foundations have been completed for this classroom and work will commence on the main construction in 2008 – the community are currently firing the bricks.
Uchessi: The final work on the main structure – laying a concrete floor - is currently being completed on this school. It will then be at the same stage as Mataka and ready for painting, doors, window shutters and furniture
Mandambuzi: This is the biggest of the schools that Manda Wilderness is helping the community to build, with three classrooms. The work is currently under way plastering the walls, then a concrete floor will need to be laid The Governor of Niassa has also supported this school project, by donating the roofing irons.
|
|
Community Projects
The initial steps of the project were to analyse the community leadership structures and to help set up a suitable system to represent each village. In partnership with an experienced local NGO – UCA (Uniao da Camponesas e Associacoes de Lichinga – Union of Local Associations), each of the 15 villages involved in the Manda Wilderness Community Conservation Area were trained in the roles of Committees and the need for Natural Resource Management, following this, a committee was elected, of 10 to 12 people with a minimum of 30% women representation.
These Committees monitor and control the use of natural resources within the community’s area, prevent hunting, monitor usage and development projects within their community or village. Each committee received many training sessions and advice from UCA on how to achieve the best for their own community.
Committees are assessed annually by the community at large, if and when necessary, members are re-elected.
How Manda Wilderness helps the communities:
The first task of the committees was to create a list of their needs and then to decide on which of these needs was the most urgent.
Discussion followed with Manda Wilderness Project, during which a specific project is selected and a contract is drawn up between the Village committee and MWP, stating clearly who will contribute what. During this process, community contribution is heavily emphasised. For example; if a village decides to build a school, in the contract, they are expected to make all the bricks, collect sand and water sufficient to build a primary school.
MWL will only help with materials that are beyond the communities reach. In the contract, MWL agrees to raise funds and to purchase items such as cement, roofing irons and skilled labour.
UMOJI ASSOCIATION (meaning ‘As One’ or ‘United’)
Once the committees became established and started to work well within their respective villages, the next step of setting up an umbrella association could be taken. Once again working closely with UCA and the Provincial Government of Niassa Province, Manda Wilderness Project was able to secure funding from the Swedish Co-operative Centre (Part of Swedish Governmental Aid to Mozambique). One member was selected by each village to be their representative in Umoji Association. This Association is now a legally registered association within Mozambique and has proved to be an excellent platform from which the communities have been heard by the Provincial and National Government.
COMMUNITY LAND CLAIM
Perhaps one of the most significant achievements to date has been the registration of each communities land in the name of that Community. This enables the communities to directly influence and have a say in what is done on their lands.
There are 6 Community Land Claims within the MWP, covering 15 villages with a population of 20,000 people.
Through this process, each village within a community has set land aside, where no hunting will take place and only sustainable use of other natural resources will be allowed.
MANDA WILDENRESS COMMUNITY CONSERVATION AREA (see Game Reserve)
120,000 hectares of Wilderness has been set aside by the communities to preserve their natural resources and to open the area for tourism. This concession is registered under Umoji Association and is managed by the local communities.
Agriculture – (see MWAP) – after requests from each and every community, the Manda Wilderness Agriculture Project was set up in 2001 with the specific goals of; improving nutrition, encouraging sustainable farming and assisting small business development. This project continues to be a huge success, with a demonstration farm providing training to over 60 farmers per year.
Organic fresh produce is served daily at the Lodge.
This project is generously assisted by the Dawe Trust
Maize Mill – With funds raised from the German Embassy in Maputo, the village of Kango and MWP constructed a Milll house and bought a Lister Diesel Mill. The aim of this project was to reduce the time and costs of transporting food supplies such as maize and cassava to Likoma Island simply to mill it.
The Mill is run as a co-operative with the Committee of Kango managing it. It has been operational since 2001, while not producing the profits that were expected, it is valued as great benefit not just to Kango village, but to most of the surrounding communities. Profits that have been gained, were used to build a market place.
Clinic – Working closely with 7 committees, the district health officer and the District Administrator, 16,000 bricks were made by seven different villages, around 6 tonnes of sand and a similar amount of stone was transported by the local church and women’s groups while the school children helped to carry the bricks to the building site. The US Embassy in Maputo paid for 100 bags of cement, roofing irons, door hinges, paint, nails and screws.
Nkwichi Lodge, with private donations, funds raised in English Churches, finance the transport of building materials, purchased local building materials such as wood and have covered all the skilled labour costs. Nkwichi Lodge also supports Dr. Peg Cumberland, who is doing an excellent job in training people in each village on basic health care, midwifery and HIV/AIDS.
Football – in partnership with Fit4kidz (based in London), the Manda Wilderness Football League was established in 2005, with each village having a fiercely competitive team. The latest tournament was held in 2007, supported by past guests of Nkwichi – Anne and Jack, and sponsored by MFI. The final took place in December and the winning team was from the village of Chigoma..
Road building – over 40 kms of road and tacks were built in 2005 /6, all using local hand labour with finance from Nkwichi Lodge and the Swedish Co-operative Centre.
Future development project – are dictated by the needs and wishes of the communities and villagers themselves. On the whole, most villages are now asking for clean water wells (almost all villagers source water from rivers or the lake).
Game Reserve | Community
Projects | Photos | Agricultural
Project |
