A HEALTHY AFRICA
The distribution of fuel-efficient cookstoves that require only a few small pieces of wood to boil water and cook family meals has helped families in many ways. The stoves produce much less smoke than an open fire, thus contributing to cleaner air, improving health and living conditions, eliminating the burden of fetching firewood and saving precious time for women who previously needed to walk long distances gathering large amounts of firewood. Thus far, 18,637 cookstoves have been distributed to communities in the landscapes we co-manage.
The programme, which began by supporting low-income households within Simalaha, was initiated by COmON foundation, Peace Parks Foundation and Commonland.
HEALTHY HERDS
Rangelands represent 43% of Africa’s land – approximately 13,000,000 km2 – and support 53 million pastoralists, who compete daily with each other, with wildlife and the natural elements for survival. Resilience in Africa is therefore dependent on simple breakthrough solutions to enable community driven rangeland restoration and wildlife protection. The Herding for Health programme is one such solution.
The Herding for Health model that was developed and is implemented in partnership with Conservation International, aims to allow Africa’s rangelands to thrive for the benefit of people and nature. The model is informed by scientific research, indigenous knowledge, and global best practice in rangeland, pastoral and conservation landscapes. The model enables stewards of rangelands to overcome the complex suite of challenges at the wildlife-livestock interface and turn them into opportunities. Although the challenges are complex, the solution is delivered through a simple, practical, and traditionally acceptable strategy that is scientifically sound: rotational grazing and kraaling by skilled herders.
HOW IT IS DONE
Herding for Health regenerates Africa’s rangeland ecosystems, enables wildlife-livestock coexistence, and enhances climate change resilience of the communities dependent on these landscapes. The Herding for Health model focuses on improving health, productivity, and wellbeing throughout communal livestock farming systems. The health and sustainability of rangelands, wild and domestic animals, local lives and livelihoods and governance supporting the rangeland economy, are all supported by this holistic approach. The use of mobile kraals or bomas has proven to be a simple and highly effective measure to keep predators such as hyena and lion away from the cattle herds. The cloth enclosures that are made out of canvas, can hold up to 600 cattle each, and can be erected in two hours. This drastically reduces the loss of cattle due to predation.
The programme plans to restore 85,000 km2 by 2030, including the training and employment of over 6,500 ecorangers, or skilled herders, and restoration workers.
