CONSERVATION stakeholders from both within and outside the country have begun taking deliberate steps to save water sources at risk of drying up in Serela and Losimingori indigenous forests in Monduli District, Arusha Region.

The water sources which are crucial for some of the district’s wards, have been severely damaged due to indiscriminate deforestation for firewood and the construction of housing for pastoral communities.

In response to the damage, Maasai Pastoralist Development Organisation (MPDO-Lareto) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has introduced a beekeeping project for residents of Serela and Repruko wards.

Baraka Laizer, MPDO-Lareto director said yesterday that the project aims to provide an economic alternative to reduce deforestation in the forests.

“Since we launched this beekeeping project in the areas, the community has stopped damaging the Serela and Losimingori indigenous forests,” he said.

“Our goal is to protect the environment and address climate change impact in this region with vital water sources. Overall, this project focuses on conserving and preserving these water sources. Currently, we are working to build the capacity of the committees involved in environmental conservation and protection of the sources in the respective villages.” 

Amani Sekino, MDPO Lareto project coordinator, stated that more than 60 women have already been provided with beekeeping projects and were beginning to benefit economically.

“Many women from pastoral communities rely on cutting trees from the forests for their livelihood. Therefore, to motivate them to abandon the destruction of the Serela and Losimingori forests and protect these water sources, we introduced this economic project,” he said. Nalembo Ole Shulu, a beneficiary from Enywata Maa group and a resident of Monduli, shared how the project has started to change their lives. She said that the project has provided a source of income through honey sales.

“We now produce various bee products which are different from just harvesting honey as we used to do,” she said.

Professionally, bees produce many valuable products that benefit health and economic development such as wax, bee venom, bee milk, pollen, honey and propolis.

Isaac Joseph, Chairman of the Monduli District Council, expressed support for the project, noting that it is a significant aid in restoring damaged environment caused by deforestation for construction and firewood in some villages.