RUFIJI: IN continuing efforts to promote environmental conservation in both urban and rural areas, the Tanzania Community Forest Conservation Network (MJUMITA) has continued supporting the provision of education to community members so they can understand better ways of conserving forests and protecting the environment.
Speaking to journalists recently in Nyamwage village, Rufiji District, the Executive Director of MJUMITA, Ms Rahima Njaidi, said that through their project on amplifying the voices of youth and women on climate change, they have been able to help provide environmental conservation education.
“Many citizens previously lacked sufficient knowledge about climate change and environmental protection, but through our project, they have been able to gain knowledge on environmental conservation and how to cope with climate change,” said Ms Njaidi.
Ms Njaidi said that they have guidelines on the production of sustainable charcoal and offer education so that communities can continue to have sustainable forests without causing any harm.
ALSO READ: State gets 323bn/- for power, forest conservation
She said that due to her work in helping villages gain environmental conservation knowledge, she had the honour of receiving one of the world’s major conservation awards, the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa, one of the annual Tusk Conservation Awards that will be held on November 26 in London.
“These awards recognise African conservationists who have brought innovation and major impact in protecting biodiversity across the continent. This award aims to educate the world about environmental conservation work and will open many opportunities by enabling us to reach more people,” she added.
She added that in the next five years, they expect to have expanded to the remaining regions to help make Tanzania a greener nation.
Furthermore, Rufiji District Forest Conservation Officer, Mr Awadhi Kabuche, said that the district has five villages with forests, and they work together with environmental stakeholders to help reduce illegal logging. 
“This project brought by MJUMITA has greatly contributed to empowering villages economically because they have been able to manage forests and conduct profitable tree harvesting. So far, they have managed to build a village office, school buildings, and a village health facility,” said Mr Kabuche.
He added that MJUMITA has greatly helped in building awareness on the importance of environmental and forest conservation and has contributed to development in their villages.
Meanwhile, one of the benefits of the MJUMITA project, Mr Abdalah Mponda from Nambunju village, said that due to the education they received, they have been able to reach 1,500 fellow villagers, including 900 men and 600 women, who have gained knowledge on environmental conservation and productive agriculture.
He said, “Because of the education we gained from this project, we have been able to practise productive agriculture. We no longer practise shifting cultivation like before, where we used to cut trees carelessly to farm. Now, we farm in one area for a long period.”