Bondo community development programe - project details

Overview

Bondo community development programe (a community based organization) is seeking funding for a proposal to implement strategies to restore and maintain the intergity of Yala Swamp, Ramogi hill Forest and Lake victoria ecosystem whose water level is droping at an alarming rate despite being polluted by water hyacinth.

This project requires funding for a number of community related programs, however much of this is dependent on putting a good reforestation program in place. BCDP is looking for funding for part or all of these programs.

Please let us know if you fund this project contact EcoForests.org.

Download full project details for this project here.

Major threats facing the Ramogi Hill, Yala swamp and Lake Victoria ecology and its environs

• Over exploitation of forests especially indiscriminate harvesting of trees for timber, firewood, and charcoal.
• Lower adoption of agro forestry and over reliance of forest resources.
• Lack of community awareness on the values of forests, Swamps, and lakes or the consequences of their destructions.
• Overgrazing in the area leading to loss of herbs and shrubs, stripping trees off-bark and destruction of tree seedlings.
• Contamination of the lake by water hyacinth and solid waste disposals leading to waterborne diseases among community members
• Poor farming practices leading to soil erosion and mineral depletion resulting to many turns of solid and silt settling in Lake Victoria which is of high economic value.
• Lack of local community participation and involvement in management, protection, and improvement of the natural vegetation.
• Lack of local community incentives to protect the forestland, wetlands, and its resources.
• Over fishing and use of wrong fishing gears.

Proposed intervention strategies

• To enhance availability and accessibility of fresh piped water to the community through the implementation of the proposed Nyamonye Water and Sanitation project to cover East Yimbo Location.
• Establishment of community tree nurseries. The seedlings will be planted on degraded sites and on individual farms.
• Increase on-farm vegetation cover on small-scale farms in Usigu Division villages through afforestation and agro-forestry development.
• Enhance sustainable fishing practices.
• Lobbying for formation of an effective multi sectoral/institutional structure through which long-term conservation of Yala Swamp, Ramogi Hill and Lake Victoria ecology would be addressed.
• Introduction of fruit farming as an income generating activity for the local community and a way of controlling soil erosions/reducing dependency on forest resources.
• Introduction and promotion of energy saving cooking stoves.
• Community sensitization and capacity building on environmental conservation.
• Promote and build community capacity on the commercial development of alloy products as an income generating activity.
• Provide farmers with technical and financial assistance/incentives to implement the desired programmes.

Specific requests include:

• Training women groups, youth groups, and other self-help groups on benefits of environmental conservation and benefits of agro-forestry.
• Enhance the capacity of the community to own and sustain the entire project activities.
• Provision of clean-piped water for the communities living along the polluted beaches of Lake Victoria.
• Conducting consultative planning workshops.
• Building the capacity of the local community to understand the concept of environmental conservation and the consequences of environmental pollution through sensitization workshops and open forums.
• Sensitize and mobilize communities to tackle sanitary problems to reduce pollution of Lake Victoria.
• Provision of a better institutional coordination and information sharing.

If well implemented, this project will protect natural resources and sustainably use the rich biodiversity of Yala Swamp, Ramogi Hill, the Lake Victoria ecology and its environs to prevent further depletion of various endangered species of fauna and flora while creating avenues for sustainable income generation activities for the poor women and youth.

The project intends to build partnership among NGOs, Local government, Local Community groups, and the private sector.

The project further intends to involve and build the capacity of the local communities members in environmental monitoring activities and rehabilitation of Lake Victoria and Yala Swamp ecology thus promote sustainable livelihoods in the project area.

The project will ensure that traditional knowledge on environmental management and community awareness and action on sustainable use of biodiversity is passed to the next generation. Infrastructure development, poverty alleviation and environmental restoration are some of the problems affecting Bondo District. Despite the measures taken to address the above issues, local Community groups and other stakeholders concur that biodiversity degradation and depletion rate is on the increase.