Bio-diversity

Project No. ZMB/SGP/OP5/Y2/CORE/BD/12/10 Funding source: GEF SGP Title of proposed project: Scaling up the Namuswa bee products, production, processing and marketing as a basis of biodiversity conservation.. GEF Focal Area: Biodiversity Conservation Name of organization seeking Alliance for Nutrition and Reconstruction Award: Postal address: P.O. Box, 630075, Choma Contact Person: Wallace D. Mayiya Project Budget: $ 43,110 1. About the NGO Alliance for Nutrition and Reconstruction (ANR) was constituted in 2003 with a goal to increase food nutritional security and rural incomes in the Southern province . ANR seeks to achieve this goal by fostering a process of on-going change in favor of marginalized rural communities by promoting strategies that exploit the full potential of women, men and youth to transform into an enlightened society able to take care and control of their resources, needs and problems for improved welfare . ANR has since grown and is now working with 53 Self Help Groups (SHG) in 42 villages. An SHG is a formalized group of 15 to 20 persons voluntarily formed on the basis of affinity and meet regularly for the purposes of achieving a common objective through mutual support and plan development activities to improve their skills, knowledge and self-confidence. Some of the on-going projects in Namuswa area of Choma district are as follows: - Value addition of locally available foods/products (mushrooms, mangoes etc.) through food preservation and processing; - Improved husbandry of goats and traditional chickens for food and income generation; - Capacity building of community members for sustainability of ANR interventions; - Sensitization and training of community members in natural resource conservation and use. ANR has since 2004 been supporting the emergence of an independent community based organisation in Namuswa consisting 901 households of 4,505 people. The ANR target group is approximately a third of the population of Namuswa area. Together they have established a factory, TONKA, for preservation and packaging of locally available wild and farmed foods. 2. Project s main objective 2.1 To support sustainable rural livelihoods and biodiversity conservation through beekeeping and processing of bee products. 2. Specific Objectives 3.1 Scaling up the beekeeping component through a revolving fund for community bee hive production; 3.2 Demonstrating the benefits of woodland conservation through community beekeeping enterprises; 3.3 Increase household incomes and food security through beekeeping and sustainable utilization of bee products; 3.4 Introduce production and processing of novel green bee products such as bee pollen, bee propolis, pollen and royal jelly; 3.5 Increase the diversity of products of TONKA - the Namuswa Community Food Processing Factory. 3.6 Increase sustainable rural income and employment opportunities. 4. Key project outcomes 4.1 200 beekeeping households that is able to sustain livelihoods through beekeeping also serve as stewards/guardians of community forest conservation.

Zambia