By Lommah Jelome

Mzimba, August 29, Mana: Assistant District Forestry Officer for Mzimba, Stepples Nyandeni has described economic empowerment of local communities as key in promoting conservation efforts of wildlife reserves.

Nyandeni made the remarks on Wednesday in Mzimba in reaction to various initiatives that the Synod of Livingstonia Development Department (SOLDEV) is doing in its efforts to protect the Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve in Mzimba through its Conserve Malawi Project, which has 4004 beneficiaries.

In his remarks, Nyandeni said, that in the past people were destroying nature’s resources such as trees and wild animals in the protected areas because of a lack of trees for home use.

“However, through SOLDEV’s Conserve Malawi project activities, the pressure on Vwaza marsh wildlife reserve has been reduced, now people in the communities have their woodlots through afforestation programs conducted by SOLDEV where they can obtain trees and forest products to use for domestic purposes.

“The project has also given goats to empower communities economically. This has reduced pressure on charcoal making. This has helped in protecting the forest reserve’’, he said.

SOLDEV Conserve Malawi project Officer, Jimmy Mgamba said they are also implementing a similar project in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mpherembe in Mzimba District at Malidade Extension Planning Area (EPA) whereby they are working with 23 Group Village Headman (GVH) in Environmental and Agriculture Conservation.

“In these 23 GVH we are going to select only 16 GVH that have water sources for irrigation to promote crop production whereby those remaining areas will be given livestock and bee hives as part of agriculture and environmental conversation”, he said.

Commenting on the matter, the project coordinator for the Conserve Malawi project from SOLDEV, Abigail Sibande said their project aims to encourage people to conserve natural resources such as trees, wild animals and the soil.

One of the community members, Emmanuel Wowa from T/A Mpherembe, Group Village Headman (GVH) Philimon Kumwenda said the coming in of the project has helped them in improving agricultural activities.