Planting barrier hedge to control erosion. Photo by Tal.J

Kikorongo community is faced by a multitude of problems in the production areas such as harsh climate, conflict with the national park game, poverty and low education levels. The infrastructure here is so poor. We believe that tourism activities will speed up the rate of local production and income generation since the community is adjacent to the park which is visited by many tourists each year.

Site planning and landscaping – kapeci and Robon on duty. © Felex

The eco-tourism site will act as the vehicle for igniting local development once the local community can get the skills, connection to the park or other tourism sources and start participating in the sale of services and other easy to produce products like handicrafts and foods to be sold at the site all which require traditional knowledge and locally available resources to produce. The project will focus on providing such production skills through training, practice and facilitating the cohesion between the three factors of sustainable development around Kikorongo community, these being the national park, the local community and the natural resources outside the park.

The project will start with consultation with the park and community to learn their attitudes about the situation, while preparing the site and involving the key partners properly. A baseline survey of the targeted members and entire community will be taken to be able to establish the level of success and the best way of replicating it within the local community after the site has started operating.

The project will target different groups including a team of weaver and crafts makers, a team of traditional dancers, a team of farmers and a team of local guides all which will be organised and trained to provide their services to the project clients (tourist/ buyers and the rest of the community).

Through community work, establishment of a tree nursery and demonstration site, this project will lead to the establishment of other environmentally friendly enterprises owned by the local households that will provide them with further skill, motivation and income to be able to support the conservation and government social development policies. The project and other off shoot projects will facilitate investment in the local infrastructural and social development of Kikorongo community to improve the areas such as health, education, housing and government support to the area.