Proposal to the Small Grants Initiative, Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program, 2004

 

Project title: Farmer-Leaders Empowerment to Promote Green Environment Rehabilitation and Conservation

 

Proposed by: James Rubakisibo, The Lutheran World Federation

Department for World Service –RWANDA PROGRAMME- GITARAMA PROJECT

 

 

*      DURATION:   One year; March 2004 to February 2005.

 

 

*  LOCATION: Gitarama Project, Rwanda, AFRICA REGION.

 

 

*  COLLABORATORS:           Dr Robin Marsh, Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program,

                                                            UC Berkeley.

                              Prof Dan Kammen, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory

                              (REAL), UC Berkeley;

                                                      Dr Patrick Karani, Chief Executive, Bureau of Environmental

                                                      Analysis International.

 

 

*      TARGET BENEFICIARIES:           -Seven Management Board Members,

      -33 Farmer Representatives,

      -193 Grassroots level Contact Farmers.

 

 

 

 

“FARMER-LEADERS EMPOWERMENT TO PROMOTE GREEN ENVIRONMENT 

                 REHABILITATION & CONSERVATION”      

 

1.0.          GENERAL INFORMATION ON BACKGROUND:

 

1.1. Rwanda the country ; Rwanda is situated in Eastern Central Africa bordering with Uganda to the North, Tanzania to the East, Burundi to the South, Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C.) to the West. It is a small country about 23 300 sq km with a population of about 8.5 million people according to August 2002 census.

 

It is characterised by steep hills and is commonly known as a land of a thousand hills and has a varied mild climate. The Country has gone through a history which over a million people were killed, environment and other natural resources destroyed during the April 1994 genocide. The Government of National Unity that was instated after genocide has done much to rehabilitate the Country and to date a democratically elected Government has taken over and will continue the rehabilitation process for the next seven years. The leaders especially at the grassroots level are still lacking.

 

1.2 Gitarama Province: The project is located in Gitarama province also characterised by high population (over 375 persons per sq km). Targeted are two Districts of Ruyumba and Ntongwe with a total population of 85.148 and 69.813 respectively. LWF-Gitarama has identified about 965 contact farmers in a sister project aimed at building peace, unity, and reconciliation through improved food security and income of the targeted communities. The targeted beneficiaries of this project will be the leaders of these contact farmers who will be empowered to continue following up the contact farmers and the farming community in the target Districts. LWF-Program, with support from Fin Church Aid(FCA) and European Union(EU), is setting up a  Farm Demonstration and Training Centre through which over 300 contact farmers will pass and be trained in various agronomic practices. Although the leaders of the contact farmers will be identified, no consideration for their training and empowerment has been made, and neither environmental aspects have been seriously addressed.

 

2.0 Problem statement/justification: Rwanda being a small country with high population density, every available space has either been inhabited or cultivated for crops. The few natural forests that existed were also destroyed during the genocide .LWF-Rwanda program, Rwanda Government’s Ministries of Agriculture and Environment and other agencies have since been trying to rehabilitate the green environment with minimal success. Many tree nurseries were established around the country and the Government has a tree planting day observed every year but on this occasion, tree seedlings which are planted out just die immediately due to lack of care and maintenance. The geomorphology of the country is characterized by steep hills and with bare slopes, heavy rains result in soils being washed away thus causing depletion of soil fertility and reduced yields. The Government has a policy of marshland reclamation and together with lack of vegetation cover the climate is being seriously affected resulting in near desert situations. Over the years rainfall regimes have changed due to felling of trees for firewood and construction purposes. This has become more rampant after the war when villagisation policy, claimed so many hectares of both natural and planted forests for construction of village houses. The interventions of introducing fuel efficient stoves to reduce the rate of cutting trees for firewood is very slow to pick up. There are, however, many institutions and agencies that are developing new technologies to utilize firewood more efficiently. What is lacking is committed leadership at the community level interested in environment conservation to cause other farmers to adapt these new technologies. Staff with lack of transport and sufficient training to address these environmental issues limits the Department of Agriculture’s only available extension service. Also, farmers who lack markets for their produce are unwilling to invest their meager income in environment conservation.

 

3.0 Project Purpose/Objectives: The project purpose is to enable communities to achieve sustainable environment rehabilitation and conservation through sound knowledge and practice of good leadership skills.

 

Specific Objectives:

  • The farming communities will elect representatives at various levels (management structure attached), and it is these leaders (seven elected Board members of  Farm Demonstration/Training Center and 33 Farmer representatives at the sector level) that are  being targeted.
  • Training in leadership and communication skills, agro forestry, and energy conservation technologies will be offered to these Farmer leaders by May 2004. LWF in collaboration with EER (a church partner), local authorities, and farming communities is setting up a farm demonstration/training center with funding from EU.
  • The above center will be supported with a computer set and printer to help in its day to day administrative duties.
  • Transport: two farmer leaders at the District level will be supported with two bicycles to ease their transport problem while linking the Center with the community.
  • Field experimental plots established at every cell (the smallest administrative unit). There are a total of 193 such units in the target communities. In each of these, a representative farmer will be encouraged to set up plots which will serve as living black boards within his/her community. At these units, also fuel efficient stoves shall be demonstrated.

 

4.0 Project activities: The following activities shall be undertaken to address the indicated problems:

  • Identification of Stakeholders: apart from UC Berkeley and ELP alumni collaborators other local partners will be identified and taken on board. There are for instance Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, Research, and Higher Institutions
  • Sensitization & Mobilization: LWF staff and elected farmer leaders will sensitize and mobilize other farmers towards adaptation of the new practices.
  • Training: Thirty five leaders will be trained at the Center. They in turn will train others in their homes. LWF has started training farmers in their homes how to construct Lorena fuel efficient stoves and it will continue to do so. The elected leaders shall be invited at the training center for a five day workshop seminar eating and residing there. An ELP alumni collaborator shall facilitate this training workshop in in leadership & communication skills, and agro forestry, drawing on materials from the Berkeley ELP course and expertise from the Nairobi-based World Agro forestry Center. A computer and training materials shall be acquired for the center

·        Two bicycles shall be acquired for the leaders to enable them travel and visit farmers in their constituencies.

  • Tree Nurseries Establishment: Farmer leaders will train other farmers to set up at least 193 home based tree nurseries between May and September 2004.
  • Construction of Fuel-efficient stoves: Farmer leaders will train other farmers between June and November 2004 in construction of fuel-efficient stoves. At least 300 stoves will have been constructed in the target communities by this date.
  • Monitoring, reporting, and Evaluation: The farmer leaders will report periodically to the Center through their representative structures the progress of activities at the community level. The Coordinator shall issue a monthly, quarterly, and final report to Berkeley. Berkeley Partner shall be invited to carry out a mid-term evaluation of the project in October 2004 and provide recommendations for the months ahead. She will also assist in providing training materials to the ELP training facilitator. 
  • Inventory of existing tree plantations, use of tree products for firewood, food, and timber for construction and furniture.

 

5.0             Collaboration statement: The Principal collaborator at Berkeley shall be Dr Robin Marsh and collaboration will be mainly on exchange of e-mails, provision of training materials – particularly on leadership, situation and periodic reports, and will be expected to conduct an on-site mid-term evaluation the project and provide constructive feedback for improving the project. Also further collaboration at Berkeley is being thought with Professor Dan Kammen to inform on materials and technologies on fuel efficient stoves. LWF has introduced Lorena stoves but other types can be tried as well. On the side of ELP alumni collaboration, contact has been made with Dr Patrick Karani, Chief Executive, Bureau of Environmental Analysis, International. He is requested to facilitate the planned workshop seminar on leadership, agroforestry, and energy conservation planned for May 2004. He may also continue to monitor the progress of the project exchange of e-mails and reports.

 

6.0             Connection of proposed project with learning/skills developed during summer course at Berkeley; Global warming and climate change is a clear phenomenon and undeniable factor, green environment contributes greatly to carbon sink (CDM), which is a major contributing factor. The green plants filter the polluted air and thus improve on health condition of the population. Some Agro forestry plants will fix nitrogen in the soil and thus replenish its capacity to carry and support more food crops and grazing animals. At Berkeley, we were exposed to different tools and skills of communicating these and other new ideas to other stakeholders and partners to bring about an effective change in our planned environmental programs. The project will offer me an opportunity to bring together different but concerned stakeholders to bring about a positive environmental change.

 

7.0            Expected results and outputs;

    

  • Inventory report will provide  base line data of existing situation.
  • Meeting and workshop reports;  results from these meetings and workshops  will be

            improved knowledge and skills of participants.

  • 193 tree nurseries shall be established and this will result in improved environment, yields and soil fertility.
  • Improved fuel efficient stoves, less firewood and thus decreased rate of deforestation.
  • Farmer leaders trained  and improved knowledge in agro forestry practices, leadership skills, and energy conservation achieved.

 

8.0            Time Line & Duration

9.0             : The Project is scheduled to start in March 2004 and end in February 2005. The following chart therefore indicates month 01 to mean March 2004 and 12 to mean February 2005.

       

01

Description of Activities/Month

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

02

Identification of Stakeholders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

03

Sensitization& Mobilization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

04

Selection of Trainees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

05

Training

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

06

Inventory of tree plantations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

07

Establishment of tree Nurseries