Protecting and Making Money from mabira Forest
Residents in the villages of mabira forest have figured out how to have their cake and eat out of the forest. About a decade ago an initiative was hatched to enable three neighboring villages to enjoy the best from it. The residents benefit from raw material for making baskets and medicine and in return protect the forest from illegal loggers. The manger of mabira forest Leo Twinomuhangi said, the local communities are being helped to benefit from the forest and this is contributing to poverty alleviation. The communities have been trained and they are wisely using the forest without destroying it. Currently, there is a long-term global study by Forest Restoration Aim (FORE AIM). FORE AIM is mentoring Mabira’s restoration and its multi functionality. The national Forest Authority spokesman Gaster Kiyingi said, the zones were imposed to cater for different interests and to ensure continued use without causing destruction. Mabira forest has over 300 species of birds, some of them endangered like the Nahans francolin and the Papyrus gonolek. Mabira forest also have plants with medicinal value, some of them used by local communities to treat ailments likes impotence and heart diseases. Mabira forest is one of the reservation areas that contribute to the country’s tour circuit.
By Achen