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05/03/2007
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What's Been Happening 2006?
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Hello
I can’t believe that Chinguni Trust (CT) has been operating for a year - how time flies! This is a brief account of what’s been happening since we signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the Danish Hunters Association (DHA), who is our main source of funding, last February.
The early months for me as Project Manager were about networking and establishing links with the partners and communities. Chinguni Trust works very closely with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and more especially the Education and Extension Department who have an excellent knowledge of the communities around Liwonde National Park (LNP).
At present CT is working with the Group Village Headman (GVH) Kaudzu and GVH Kamwendo as they are the closest villages to the Chinguni Gate. The Trust has supported the establishment of bee keeping projects with modern hives in these villages. This is a trial demonstration project and CT is working together with the DNPW Research Department to find out whether modern bee keeping works in this area. Within the villages there are a few men who already have traditional hives so we are confidant that modern hives will also be successful.
Bee Keeping is a ‘win win win’ situation as after the initial costs of buying the hive there are no major expenses and the bees not only provide honey, which can easily be sold in Malawi, but wax for making high quality candles and propolis, which is natures antibiotic.
This year the Trust wants to look at fish ponds as an income generating activity (IGA) and to change the livelihood of the poachers from illegal fishermen to fish farmers. Fish poaching is LNPs biggest problem, even now during the breeding season boats will be found net fishing – and some of these poachers are using mosquito nets!
CT had its own fund raising event called the Hippy Festival that was held in the Park. We had three of Malawi’s best bands playing us into the early hours of the morning. The elephants came by, as they do every year, and the antelopes carried on their daily business as if nothing was happening. Unfortunately, this year we may look for another venue as the costs of putting on a festival in such a remote location are too high.
Wildlife and environmental education in primary schools has been a key activity of the Trust. The lessons being trialed in three primary schools, contain a serious first half with the students often working in groups to answer wildlife/environmental questions and a fun second half, which is a game or activity to hammer home the message.
After testing and revising the lessons a wildlife activity pack will be produced and through workshops given to the patrons/matrons of the school wildlife clubs. We are also bringing wildlife clubs to the Park; as experiencing wildlife is a sure way to get the children’s appreciation of why the Park is important to protect.
Last year I assisted two primary schools, Namisundu and Kamwendo to fill in forms to get government funding to construct new classroom blocks. Unfortunately, we have been waiting for seven months to find that the funding agency has serious problems with un-accounted spending resulting in the sacking of many of the employees. CT has to find funding elsewhere now for these projects.
October saw the Large Mammal Census of LNP. The event went very well with over 70 volunteers coming for the weekend to sit in hides and go for walks across the park – luckily for the volunteers LNP is 15km at its widest point since the count is done in the dry, hot season! The game count is done then because we have good visibility as the vegetation has died back and the animals have to go to the river for water so the hide counts are able to pick up most of the animals.
The highlight for many was the hippo count, which involved a three hour boat trip up the Shire River getting off in the middle of the park to allow the second crew to board and do the return trip to count crocodiles. Apart from seeing about 650 hippos the day crew saw an unusual sight of an elephant fighting with a hippo and also a herd of elephants crossing the water with a baby elephant being transported on the back of its mother, ahhhh!
Feel Free to get in touch with Chinguni Trust if you have any questions,
Cheers
Claire Hannah
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