Bio-diversity

1.1 Project Summary The project on Elimination of Chemicals through Establishment of Organic Herbal Gardens and Biodiversity conservation seeks to address the use of chemicals in agriculture and biodiversity loss in Chinamhora Ward of Goromonzi District. The project is located in the Domboshava communal lands of Goromonzi District about 50 kilometers northeast of the Capital City Harare. Its climate is characteristic of agro-ecological region 2b which receives good rains averaging between 650-800mm, but is subject to frequent droughts, dry summer spells and short rainy seasons (Agritex). Most of the rains are normally received between October and March. However some of the areas in this district have been noted as being relatively dry as compared to the rest of the region. The soils are pit sand with a few patches of red clay soils (Lister 1987). Because of its climatic conditions and proximity Domboshawa has traditionally been a supplier of horticultural products to the country s capital city - Harare. Any fall in production in Domboshava is likely to impact negatively on Harare s horticultural price regimes and consequently adversely affect the rural and urban poor livelihoods which depend on them. The project shall be facilitated by Little Children of Our Blessed Lady (LCBC) on behalf of Chinamhora Support Group. Little Children of Our Blessed Lady (LCBL) is a local Faith Based Non-Governmental Organization, registered as a private voluntary organization in 2007 (PVO 16/2007). The Chinamhora Support group was founded and registered in 2010 with Zimbabwe National Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (ZNNP +) through the assistance of Little Children of Our Blessed Lady (LCBL). It is made up of people living with HIV/AIDS and it is also registered with Makumbi Hospital. The Support Group has a total number of 67 members drawn from four sub-groups namely Mukai, Zvirinani Kurembera Panekudonha, Long Life and Beginning of New Life. Each member pays a monthly subscription fee of $0.50 and each support group has a committee which oversees the activities of the group. The table below shows the name of the sub-group, the names of villages where these members are drawn and the total members per each group. Name of the Sub-Support Group Names of village in the Sub-Support Group Number of members on the Sub-Support Group Mukai Chakabvapasi, Mutake, Chirombo, Mashayamombe, Chinyane, Mhizha, Sasa, Matope, Marime 22 Zvirinani Kurembera Panekudonha Zhanda, Mashonganyika, Chavengera A and Chinamhora 18 Long Life Chaitezvi, Chidziva A and Mukwesha 15 Beginning of New life Guhwa, Chavhengera B and Chidziva B 12 Total 67 All the Sub groups will participate in the project as direct beneficiaries with eight villages namely Chakabvapasi, Chaitezvi, Chirenda, Marimo, Nenzou, Zhanda, and Makumbe while Munemo volunteered to participate in afforestation activities as indirect project participants. The project seeks to address the environment challenges of biodiversity loss and use of agro-chemicals in the Domboshawa community. The Domboshawa Community is faced with a number of environment challenges such as biodiversity loss, land degradation and diminishing livelihoods options. Several factors are noted to be contributing to the escalating rate of biodiversity loss and land degradation. The community is a peri-urban community hence it is experiencing population increase which has resulted in the cutting down of trees for settlement. Other factors that have contributed to biodiversity loss include the increasing demand for firewood as a source of energy in the nearby Capital City Harare due to constant power cuts and wood for furniture making. A variety of indigenous tree species such as Muzhanje, Mutunduru and Musasa just to mention but a few have been lost. This has also contributed to climate change as the community is now experiencing successive droughts in the recent years. Another environmental challenge being faced in Domboshawa is the continued use of dangerous chemicals such as tamaron, rogor, cab aryl 85, DDT Methyl Dibromide and Copper Ox chloride in agriculture activities. Most of these chemicals are Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes. Because of this, they have been observed to persist in the environment, to be capable of long-range transport, bioaccumulate in human and animal tissue, biomagnify in food chains, and to have potential significant impacts on human health and the environment. The project shall be working with HIV/AIDS infected and affected members of the society hence elimination of such chemicals is of paramount importance. Some of the notable effects on human beings include disruption of the endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems; neurobehavioral disorders; and cancers possibly including breast cancer. These POPs are consumed through plant tissues hence it is very critical that Chinamhora Support Group promote and practice organic agriculture. In addressing the environment challenges mentioned above, the project aims to address two GEFSGP thematic areas i.e. Biodiversity conservation and Elimination of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) as it also addresses GEFSGP Strategic Objective Goals Number 5 and Number 9. The project is linked to the Millennium Development Goal Number 6 of Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other disea

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