Communities around Bwindi Impenetrable forest in Kisoro District, with support from Kigezi High Tea Company, have opted to turn the 17km buffer zone (which separates the national park from communities) into tea plantations.
This is to ward off the animals from their crops in addition to being a way of generating income.
Wild animals from Bwinidi Impenetrable Forest such as elephants and mountain gorillas, among others, have been raiding gardens adjacent to the park.
This has always resulted into conflicts between the communities and the national park authorities as they lay traps to kill the animals.
In 2006, through their association, Nkuringo Community Conservation Development Foundation (NCCDF), more than 30,000 residents of Rubuguri and Nteko parishes appealed to government for the construction of a permanent seperator wall.
Support other activities
Later, in 2009, they revisited their idea and opted to establish tea plantations instead. But they had challenge of getting funds for the initiative.
Fidel Kanyamunyu, the chairman, NCCDF, said that tea growing was earmarked because of the expected income that would in turn help in setting up community projects on education, health and roads. Also, support other income generating activities.
"In 2013, we decided to partner with Kigezi Highland Tea Company and we have managed to plant tea across the 17km buffer zone (about 1,500 acres)," he said.
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"We hope to become a billionaire community group in the next few years when we begin harvesting and selling tea leaves since one can earn up to Shs300,000 per month from an acre planted with tea."
Long-term solution
Subsequently, the association abandoned the idea of constructing a permanent wall separating the residents from the park.
This is because the tea project will not only be profitable but environmentally friendly as well.
It would also provide a long-term solution of preventing wild animals from raiding community crop gardens. The tea plants are planted close to each other in rows with a width of 150 metres.
"The community will also benefit from the sale of the tea. There are as many as 6,000 people who are already employed in the tea plantations earning Shs5000 and Shs10,000 [a day] depending on their specialty and expertise in tea growing," Kanyamunyu said.
Jackson Sanyu, the procurement officer, NCCDF, revealed that plans are under way to establish a tea processing factory.
This will ensure that there will be more jobs for the community through value addition of the produced tea leaves.
He added that NCCDF has used money generated from the sale of tea in the construction of Nyabaremura Community Visitor Centre. This is a facility that can be used by the tourists enroute to tracking mountain gorillas.
The proceeds have also been used to set up Bwindi Community Skills Development Institute. This is where community members shall be trained on skills and subjects such as modern farming methods, hospitality and tourism, tailoring and carpentry, among others.
