Outdoor training of installation of improved cooking stoves.

Gisagara Forests are very important habitat to many regional species of plants, birds and animals. However, recent findings state that these important forests continue to face several human threats; mainly extinction of forests or some tree species due to high consumption of firewood in inefficient household cook stoves as only cooking alternative for 278,367 local dwellers (task for youth and women). In addition, there is lack of local community involvement and best practices for forests restoration and conservation.

Students at the Rufford centre making improved stoves.

Consequently, there is an increasing deforestation and loss of biodiversity that affect local livelihoods especially through unfavorable agricultural seasons and soil erosion.

Therefore, This project will pragmatically promote sustainable use and grass-root conservation of forests in Gisagara District by establishing a resource center for development, community trainings, demonstrations, and entrepreneurship of numerous local best practices notably; agro-forestry, Mushroom Farming, Improved Bee Keeping, Briquettes making, installation of Improved Cook Stoves and Tubular Biogas Energy.

This center will train and resource fifteen potential local youth-conservation-clubs and women cooperatives (as grass-roots peer educators and entrepreneurs) and enable them to lead their communities in designing and implementing the forests conservation action plans and widely disseminate the learnt practices through ongoing weekly outreaches.

As the outcome, this center and its 15 affiliated youth clubs and women cooperatives will help the local community and enterprises to establish best practices for sustainable livelihoods in order to maximize the sustainable use of the forest resources. For instance, the adoption of improved cook stoves that save more than 60% of fuel-wood will enable thousands of rural families and enterprises to reduce daily amount of trees/woods. While, improved bees keeping practices will considerably reduce forest fire burning and loss of many birds and small animals. Thereby sustainably decrease the level of deforestation and extinction of biodiversity in the local forests. It will also promote the incentives and alternatives for the community-based conservation of forests as well as strengthen and sustain grass-roots activism for conservation and restoration of forests.