Many people have been asking how to assist me with development projects that I am working on in my village. I can not begin to tell you how greatful I am for any assistance that people can help with. Even if you can not help financially, a letter in the mail goes a long way! The first three months at my site have been spent trying to understand the needs of the community. Therefore, no real projects have materialized to date. groups have expressed needs and concerns for a more diversified selection of fruits and vegetables, which I am extremely excited. Mainly in my own backyard, I personally am supporting food security through income generation. In addition to income generation in my village, I am collaborating with the Danish Hunters Association & WildLife Environment Society of Malawi in an effort to support community conservation of customary lands. I am working to support Community trainings, along with the development of such CCA (Community Conservation Areas.)
Community conservation is an effort to empower the public to play an active role in the sustainable management of resident natural resources. In addition to protected area management, the roles of the organized Community Based Organization and others land stewards should be to integrate community involvement. Community training is an opportunity to expand community involvement in conservation, while assisting with the lacking civic education efforts. As role of facilitator, my hope is to organize community trainings for villages near Kuti Community Wild Park and the purposed Mpatsanjoka CCA. The trainings will be held haft day at the NRC educational center in Kuti Community Wildlife Park. Class topic will range from income generation to environmental education, but the focus will be to assist the needs and dificulties that the communities are currently expressing. The purposed training should run bi-monthly and should be an expense sustained by the CCA (community conservation area) in an effort to promote more community involvement.
The topics to be discussed will be those pertaining to the current problems addressed by the community. Currently in Malawi much of the environmental pressure on protected areas is due to financial concerns felt in the villages. In addition to financial anxiety, local community members feel a lack of ownership in a “restricted area.” Topics discussed should address these issues.
Example Topics:
Food-Security – Crop diversification
Sustainable/Conservation agriculture
Irrigation schemes
Soap Making
Jam Making
Charcoal Making (from Corn Husks)
Environmental Education: Wildlife protection, community conservation
The overlying goal of this project is sustainability. With sustainability in mind, it is my hope to train motivated patrons from the communities to deliver topics. This not only provides jobs to the community, but will assist in community members having ownership in the conservation project.
Initial assistance that friends and family back home can assist with would be educational resources to be presented during seminars. The additional financial logistics are still being discussed (paying the trainers and feeding people who attend). Thank you all for your help and please do not hesitate to write if you need any additional information or have questions on current or future projects.
CHEKOKI (my Yao name is evolving)
Kirk Longstein, Peace Corps
Box 284
Salima
Malawi
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