THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACILITY (GEF)

SMALL GRANTS PROGRANNE (SGP)

UNGWERU

PROJECT CONCEPT PAPER

FOR

REAFORESTATION PROJECT

Contact person: Mr. John Paul, Ungweru Organization, P.O. Box 20350, Luwinga. Mzuzu2.

Cell : 09 279 047

Email:

  1. The proposing Organization

1.NAME OF ORGANIZATION: Ungweru Organization

2. Contact Details:

Contact person: Mr. John Paul, Ungweru Organization, P.O. Box 20350, LUWINGA. MZUZU 2. MALAWI

Cell: +265 9279 047. Email:

  1. Type of Organization: CBO, registered on 04th/11/2007 by Mzuzu district Social Welfare Office and MzuzuCity assembly
  1. Core business of Ungweru

The establishment of Ungweru organization aimed at alleviating the sufferings of the poor and those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in the Mzuzu region, the northern part of Malawi. To achieve this, the organization is working closely with other partner NGOs, Government Line Ministries, the youth and community volunteersin the following focal program areas which target the grass root communities and the youth;

  1. Food and Nutrition program
  2. HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation program
  3. Education support program
  4. Energy conservation program

IMPLEMENTATION APPROACHES

The grassroots organizations are major implementers of community projects and Ungweru assists through; guidance and counseling, advice, financial assistance, program planning and delivery as well as capacity building for sustainability of community projects.

Grassroots groups are actively involved in all the stages of project cycle and are regarded as the primary actors and decision makers in community project implementation.

At community level, there are strong groups established as Home Based Care volunteers (HBC), AIDS support groups whose membership targets people living with AIDS, the youth, and widows groups. Ungweru also support day care centre which cater for orphans and other vulnerable children. We closely monitor the CBOs/FBOin their community activities and they are obliged to submit monthly reports to Ungweru about their beneficiaries which include:

  1. Number who have received nutritional food
  2. New beneficiaries
  3. Number of people received counseling
  4. OVCs and youth who have received education support
  5. Challenges encountered in a month
  6. Deaths registered in a month by Home Based Care
  7. Number of households benefiting from the energy serving clay stoves

Ungweru is supporting, facilitating and capacity building of CBOs/FBOs in the area of Traditional Authority Mthwalo, Mzimba and is active in more than 40 villages.

Ungweru in collaboration with its partners organize and facilitate training for community volunteers, the youth and field staff in various project areas for quality service delivery.

Recently, Ungweru has implemented an environmental friendly project in Basic Energy Conservation targeting communities which use firewood as their main source of energy. The project has been implemented in partnership with the Programme for Basic Energy and Conservation (ProBEC-GTZ) and Integrated Food Security Programme (IFSP). Its focus is to enhance the conservation of indigenous forests and soils through the promotion of improved energy saving technologies and techniques for better environmental sustainability.

  1. PROPOSED PROJECT

5. Project Title: Capacity building for innovative and indigenous sustainable land management practices in rural communities of Mzuzu

6. Project Concept/Idea:

The main idea of this project is to combat land degradation which is directly threatening food security, water, soil conditions, plant and animal species in rural communities of Mzuzu. The project will also monitor and evaluate community progress towards sustainable land use systems in addressing poverty and ensure sustainable development. It has long been recognized that, land degradation is directly linked to poor economic performance and poverty especially in rural areas. Rapid population growth and poverty accelerate deforestation, expansion of agriculture into marginal areas and high demand for fuel-wood as a major source of energy in rural communities leading in turn to land degradation which exacerbates food insecurity, decline in water quality, decreased health status, and loss of plant and animal species. Ungweru is therefore trying to mitigate impact of land degradation and ensure environmental sustainability in areas around Mzuzu.

7. Project goal:

To ensure environmental sustainability in the selected communities within Traditional Authority Mthwalo in order to protect and conserve arable soils, water, native plant/tree and animal species. We also hope our project goals contribute to a positive effect on climate change as part of Government campaign to change behavior and attitude towards global warming.

8. Project purpose/Objective:

To build capacity for improved management of vegetation, soil and water resources for the benefit of local communities, through educating these communities on importance of long term indigenous conservation measures and initiatives on managing the land.

9. Time Schedule of activities:

2009 / 2010
ACTIVITY / Jan / Feb / Mar / Apr / Ma / Jun / Jul / Aug / Sep / Oct / Nov / Dec / Jan / Feb / Mar / Apr / Ma / Jun / Jul / Aug
Community sensitization and sensitization
Formation of forest committees
Land identification for reafforestation
Procurement of tools
Nursery establishment
Nursery management
Ground preparation
Tree planting
Tending operations
Construction of perimeter fire breaks
Monitoring project activities
Project evaluation and handover

10.Project location and area:

Thukutu/Dunduzu villages in the Traditional Authority Mthwalo within Ungweru impact area

11. Project Strategy/Approach:

The project will focus on forest landscape restoration approach. Grassroots communities will be directly involved in conserving and restoring deforested areas and ensure social acceptability ofrecommended solutions to land degradation.We plan to approach this using three steps:

  1. Environmental Education-working through community groups and Ungweru youth, we will train and sensitize the relevant communities in forestry management, energy saving cooking techniques and soil protection.
  2. Environmental Protection: Production of energy saving clay stoves ensuring the reduced use of firewood for cooking.
  3. Environmental Restoration: Tree planting

12. Project duration:

20 months

13. Eligibility of the proposal for GEF SGP financing:

This project is focusing on public awareness about climate change through the promotion use of environmental friendly energy saving technologies which reduce pressure on natural forests for firewood. The project will also address issues of deforestation and possible desertification by conserving and restoring the deforested areas and those prone to deforestation. This will be done through soil conservation and protection of exotic and indigenous forests.

Focal areas: a. Land degradation b. Climate Change

14. Project budget estimate: US 12,000

Contribution from / Amount
SGP / US 12,000
Small Change-Ireland / US 15873-salaries
International technical
Volunteers / US 6906
Community participation(Un skilled labour) / USD 504

15. Links with other stakeholders: The project will be implemented in collaboration with the following stakeholders;

a. Chiefs

b. Renewable Energy and ForestryDepartment-MzuzuUniversity

c. Programme for Basic Energy Conservation (ProBEC-GTZ)

d. MzuzuCity Assembly

e. Ministry of Mines and Natural Resources

16. Impact in terms of:

policy:The project shall have direct impact on environmental policy, forest policy, community based natural resources management policy and agricultural policy focusing on land degradation.

advocacy:This project willcreate awareness among community citizens who will in tern develop interest and try to take a good care of their natural environment by protecting forest species and adopt the practices.

sustainability and replicability of the project purpose:sustainability of the project will stem from participatory forest management approach whereby local communities will participate in tree/forest management and utilization, and build ownership spirit. The project will replicate as the surrounding communities emulate what others are doing on forest management.

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