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Written by Vincent Onyango
Vulture populations across Africa are facing steep declines, with some species facing declines of up to 97% over the past 50 years. Currently, 7 out of 11 vulture species are at risk of extinction due to poisoning, accounting for over 60% of vulture deaths. The belief-based use of killing vultures for their body parts is used in traditional medicine and accounts for approximately 29% of vulture deaths on the continent. In Tanzania, Nature Tanzania is working with local communities in the Macau Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in north-central Tanzania to protect vultures.
An important aspect of this research is involving traditional healers to replace vulture parts with plant-based alternatives. Therefore, perennials – Biophytum crassipes (Kiroto) has been confirmed for use. Additionally, Nature Tanzania deepens its engagement with local communities by promoting their livelihoods. As a result, a Community Revolving Fund (CRF) is operated, which is owned by the community.
CRF requires a cashless system for small loan payments and repayments, involving community participation, including traditional healers. Loans are provided to support environmentally sustainable businesses that improve the lives of local communities. With funding from the Darwin Initiative through BirdLife International, Nature Tanzania has committed 15 million Tanzanian shillings (£5,000) to support the fund.
“Taking an integrated approach to vulture conservation will not only protect these important birds, but will also reduce environmental pressures and create sustainable harmony for everyone,” Bird said. said Fadzai Matsubimbo, Life International’s Extinction Prevention Program Coordinator.
The fund is managed and administered by the Macau Wildlife Management Authority, My Thu District Council, Nature Tanzania, and the CRF Committee. The committee is made up of representatives from Mytu District Council, Macau WMA, and Nature Tanzania. This committee evaluates loan applications and carries out monitoring and evaluation of loan projects whose operations are regularly reviewed. In addition, community members have benefited from capacity-building training on entrepreneurship, reducing pressure on the environment and reducing the loss of income associated with human-wildlife conflict and the belief in vulture body parts. -based use, etc., has helped address the factors that lead to wildlife poisoning.
“We would like to thank Nature Tanzania for supporting the government in its fight against poverty by helping communities in Macau access loans at low interest rates. This allows them to start small businesses and , improvements can be made,” said Fauzia Gatumbula, Meetu district committee chairperson.
The first loan was dispatched in July 2023 and 56 people (33 women and 23 women) benefited from the loan. Beneficiaries received entrepreneurship training to enable them to run small businesses that improve their livelihoods and reduce pressure on the environment and wildlife.
“Thanks to the loan we received from the vulture conservation project carried out by Nature Tanzania, we have been able to purchase new tailoring machinery, which has increased our efficiency by fulfilling customer orders on time and has increased their trust in us. We have started repaying the loan and look forward to repaying the full loan with interest as soon as possible to benefit other groups as well.” , said Miss Jane Chambi Mipawa, Treasurer of Mbuyuni Women’s Group, one of the benefiting groups. loan.
“These people are seeing tangible benefits from CRF implementation. Each beneficiary is automatically registered as a Vulture Conservation Ambassador and is raising awareness of the importance of these endangered birds. We now look forward to welcoming a large group of vulture conservation ambassadors as we plan to support Nature Tanzania in raising awareness of the vultures,” Program Director Edwin Kamugisha concluded. . , Nature of Tanzania.
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