"Ultimately conservation is about people. If you don't have sustainable development around these wildlife parks, then people will have no interest in them, and the parks will not survive." - Nelson Mandela
Geographic Region
This project is located in the Uganda Wildlife Authority's (UWA) Murchison Falls Conservation Education Centre (MFCEC) within the Paraa Area of Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA). Outreach and development programs will be run, in partnership together by both Soft Power Education and the UWA within the surrounding communities of the MFCA, mainly Buliisa District to the west of the MFCA.
Aim
To assist, develop and promote sustainable and well-practiced conservation within the Murchison Falls Conservation Area and the surrounding communities.
To provide the foundations and assist in the construction of a sound relationship between the UWA and the surrounding communities of MFCA as well as other users of the MFCA. It is hoped that this project will not only assist in reducing the various conflicts between the various users of the area but also assist in providing tangible benefits to the various stakeholder and user groups.
Objectives
To develop links between MFCA/UWA and local communities as well as all other park users and to assist in the development of the standard of living in the surrounding communities. This project will also play an active role in the development of the Murchison Falls GeoTourism Circuit, and provide a foundation block to promoting tourism on a national level that encompasses an awareness of environmental and cultural issues.
Design
Both the Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Soft Power Education recognised that there was a conflict of issues between the various users of the Murchison Falls Conservation Area. Based upon this, the UWA invited Soft Power Education to work alongside them in assisting and developing links between the various park users. This invitation was based upon similar Soft Power Education projects already in place within the Jinja area of Uganda. The Murchison Falls Conservation Education Centre Paraa: Education Manual (2004) highlights a range of problems, which were identified by the consulted stakeholders. It also states that:
"The pressing need for teaching communities neighbouring wildlife conservation areas and school children to inspire positive actions that promote conservation has been evident for many years. Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA) in response to the training need established the Murchison Falls Conservation Education Centre (MFCEC) in 1999 as a Youth Centre for creating Wildlife Conservation awareness to the neighbouring community through Education Programmes and providing information to the general Uganda public and visitors to the National Park. The concept was derived from an earlier education centre nearby, that was destroyed during the 1979 liberation war."
The UWA and the local communities have noted that anti-poaching programs and deforestation awareness programs, although successful, have experienced limitations. This has been mainly due to age-old habits and lack of opportunity in other areas. For this reason the UWA and Soft Power Education will primarily target the communities in areas where issues of poaching and deforestation are rife. It is believed that it is more successful to challenge and change opinion of youth in regards to poaching and deforestation before habits of poor conservation set in. By expanding the educational base level in these areas it is believed that new markets and opportunities will arise and provide alternatives and therefore solutions to the current conservation issues.
However, the project in question has been designed to be three fold in nature. In order to fund the running of the MFCEC and to engage tourists in conservation based activities we will run activities aimed at tourists who have already completed one of the other morning activities based within the MFCA i.e. game drive and are waiting for an afternoon activity i.e. launch trip. Activities would be designed to be approximately 45mins to 1 hour in length, it is estimated that a 45 min activity would cost $15 per head with the option of purchasing locally made crafts and foods. An option of doing an extended program with prior notice would also be available. All current research into this initiative has been very positive. Such conservation and community activities may include:
- Anti poaching techniques and talks from ex poachers
- Tracking animals
- Medicinal Plants
- Animal Biology
- Agriculture
- Animal Health and well-being
- Night-sky watching
- Craft making
Several of these programs could be run by local communities, especially women's groups or ex-poachers, by participating in such programs communities would be presented with the opportunity to develop a reliable source of income based upon tourism. This in turn would have many tangible benefits within the communities - The overall result hopefully being a reduction in bad conservation practices and ill feeling against the other users of MFCA. It is hoped to pilot this initiative in early 2009.
The third facet of this project is the visiting schools and universities from throughout the whole of Uganda. At present such groups are coordinated by the UWA, unfortunately due to lack of funds and thus infrastructure, these groups are not able to fully gain all the benefits of visiting the MFCA. The renovation and development of the MFCEC would also assist with these particular users and expand and intensify their visits.
Project Outcomes
The desired primary outcome of this project is increased levels of conservation in the areas surrounding the MFCA. However, in order to achieve this successfully, all stakeholders must, and potentially shall, receive tangible benefits in order to bring about a change in stakeholder activity resulting in increased conservation.
MFCA
Reduction of deforestation and poaching, resulting in increased levels of animal, flora and fauna activity. This therefore, increases the sustainability of the conservation area.
Tourism
Project success will result in providing tourists with the opportunity to learn more about the conservation issues threatening the MFCA and the activities done to counter these issues. Tourists would also have the opportunity to participate in such programs. Programs based outside the boundaries of MFCA will also provide tourists the opportunity to learn about the issues and cultures of the surrounding communities and wildlife found in the park.
In regards to tourism based businesses operating both within and out with the MFCA the project would provide a sellable product to tourists. This could potentially lead to an increase in the number of days tourists choose to spend within the MFCA. Also, the sustainability of the park is vitally important to tourism-based businesses, as it is the foundation of their operations.
Associated community programs may also provide a means for hotels/lodges/camps based within and near the MFCA to source food and craft supplies at less cost than current means.
Communities
It is hoped that an increase in the general standard of living is the main outcome in regards to communities. By providing basic education and employment opportunities it is hoped that communities can begin to enjoy a better quality of life in terms of social, economic and environmental aspects.
An increase in quality of life would hopefully lead to the creation of opportunities and alternatives to the current employment sectors experienced in Buliisa District. This will in turn have an effect within educational standards and lead to further tangible developments.
Schools Programme
Alongside the Conservation Programme a School Refurbishment Programme is also fully underway. Groups from both Leeds University and Hands of Help have spent time in the area working on Paraa Primary School, Ngwedo Primary, Kybambora Primary and Wanseko Primary School. Take a look at how they did.