NFA takes conservation campaign to Masindi residents

MASINDI, October 2, 2024 – The National Forestry Authority [ NPA ] has started recording significant achievements following its partnership with local forest management groups in Masindi district.

NFA is working with six collaborative forestry management groups comprised of about 800 members in the catchment area of Budongo Forest in the sub-counties of Budongo, Nyantonzi, and Karjubu Division in Masindi Municipality.

With the support of NFA and other partners, the local groups are also involved in different activities including restoring the destroyed parts of the forest, patrolling the forest to combat illegal activities, planting trees, and establishing tree nursery beds.

The local groups are also involved in the apiary, liquid soap making, briquettes making, credit, and savings among others.

According to Boaz Basigirenda, Range Manager Budongo Systems Range , they are working with the local groups to manage Budongo Forest on mutually agreed terms including the roles, benefits and the responsibilities for each party.

“These groups are helping us a lot, especially in combating the illegal activities in the forest, giving us information and for the time we have worked with them, reduction in the destruction of the forest has been registered. The parts of the forest which had been degraded have now regenerated. We don’t pay them but there are benefits they get due to the work they are doing,” said Basigirenda.

Basigirenda added that about 3,800 beehives have been given out to the groups in the catchment area of Budongo Forest Reserve.

Recently the district technical and the political leadership led by the Chief Administrative Officer, Tappy Namulondo and Geoffrey Bigabwa, Secretary for Production visited the groups and were amazed by the work being done by the groups.

“We protect the forest and also create awareness on the benefits of the forest. We received 700 beehives with the help of World Bank. NFA gave us land where to site them. For easy management we allocated six beehives to each member,” said Elisa Ozinga,  Chairperson Karujubu Forest Adjacent Community Association which has 304 members.

He added that they’re producing honey and liquid soap but they are facing the challenge of inadequate market. “Our appeal to authorities is to connect us to market. We also have a challenge of termites destroying the stands for the beehives,” said Ozinga.

He added that apparently they have Shs 1.6 million in savings, noting that they were also trained on financial literacy by NFA and the partners.

Fred Lemeriga, Chairperson Kapeeka Integrated Community Development Association which also has 304 members commended NFA for helping them start up livelihood programmes, adding that members now have other alternatives to depend on for livelihoods other than the forest.

“We are in bee keeping, handicrafts making and liquid soap which are bringing money to us. We focus on combating all illegal activities in the forest like charcoal cutting, illegal logging and laying of snares,” she said.

He added that they’re able to make propolis and wax out of bee keeping projects.

Moses Kirya, Masindi district councillor explained that the partnership between the community groups and NFA in the district has has not only protected the forest but also improved the wellbeing of the locals.

Kirya urged NFA to extend the same partnerships to other areas in the district such that they can also transform and stop forest destruction.

Tappy Namulondo, Chief Administrative Officer Masindi asked the members of different groups participating in forest conservation to ensure that they produce quality products and add value to them to earn more money.

“Ensure that you add value to your products to get more money. Protect the forests because they have a lot of benefits,” he said.

Moses Kalyegira, Masindi District Commercial Officer also advised the locals get Q-mark from Uganda National Bureau of Standards [UNBS] to show customers that their products are of good quality. “The quality of honey is natural and medicinal but it needs to be certified by UNBS,” he said.

Joseph Rusejule, Vice-Chairperson Budongo Subcounty  commended the work being done by the local groups as far as conservation is concerned, adding that so far they have restored 98 hectares of the degraded part of the forest.