 |
| Mount Kasigau (above) an isolated outcrop of the Taita
Hills is a region of rich bio-diversity. Paradoxically, it is totally
unexplored and undisturbed compared to the rest of the Taita Hills
which face major destruction and degradation. |
|
A first time visit to Kasigau depicts an air of calm, hospitality and
composure of the Kasigau people going about their daily business. But,
behind this friendly mien lies a story of a people who have survived
the cross-fire of the Anglo-German war of the early 1920's, exiled from
their own land, yet survived to return to their ancestral home around
Mt. Kasigau. Kasigau Location of Taita-Taveta District is a dispersal
area for wildlife that seasonally migrate between Tsavo East and Tsavo
West National Parks (Africa’s most elaborate park system) in Kenya
and Mkomazi National Park in Tanzania. Mt. Kasigau lies within the Taita
Hills and forms part of the globally significant Eastern Arc Mountains,
composed of unique mist forests that harbor endemic (and often endangered)
wildlife and plant species such as the Taita white-eye bird and the
African violet. However, the area around Mt. Kasigau is heavily settled
and human-wildlife conflict is a major problem.
The residents of Kasigau are subsistence farmers whose food security
is frequently hampered by periodic droughts and frequent wildlife incursions.
The inability to rely entirely on their farms has forced these people
to resort to other modes of survival charcoal burning, sand harvesting,
gemstone prospecting and hunting, all of which threaten their habitat.
Ironically, the surrounding Tsavo National Park and other privately
owned ranches have been making good businesses from eco-tourism activities.
It is against the backdrop of rapid population increase and habitat
destruction that USAID/Conservation of Resources through Enterprise
(CORE) came up with the idea of establishing village bandas for eco-tourism.
This intervention reverses the unsustainable exploitation of Kasigau’s
fragile ecosystem while providing economic benefits to the community,
thus giving positive incentives to the conservation of the environment.
Although the initial proposal was rejected by the local community at
first, CORE convinced the residents of its soundness by organizing an
exposure tour to visit similar community ventures in the region.
 |
| |
Typical design of a Banda |
The Kasigau bandas generate income by renting out comfortable accommodations
that are owned and operated by the community members themselves. Currently,
five villages have eco-tourism companies: Rukanga (Mlemwa Touring Company),
Jora (Tumaini White Eye Bird Co.), Bungule (Tofino Talii Co.), Makwasinyi
(Makwasinyi Tours Co.) and Kiteghe (Kiteghe Tours Co.). Each village
company is governed by a nine-member board of directors, who provide
oversight and management. Membership is open to all community members,
each of whom must purchase a company share for KSh 534. Each company
has its own Articles of Association that stipulate the legal mandate
of the entities, governance and membership.
The community owned and operated bandas are currently completed and
in use at the 5 villages surrounding the base of Mt. Kasigau. Each Banda
consists of 2 twin rooms (4 beds only) and a small adjoining public
room / kitchen constructed in traditional “village style”
of Tsavo brick walls and thatch roof and furnished equally simply. The
volunteers who come to stay and live in these accommodations provide
a worthwhile conservation service by participating in community service
and conservation projects.
For the exclusive use of the these bandas to the overseas student volunteer
market, Savannah Camps & Lodges Ltd. pays the Kasigau village companies
an annual lease fee of $ 20,000, increasing by 10 percent per year.
The contract is for a 10-year period, with the option to renew. These
newly established bandas are already turning a profit. On June 8th 2002
Savannah Camps & Lodges issued checks worth $ 38,000 to the bandas
as revenue of the first year of operation!
Parallel to the establishment of the bandas, CORE has also facilitated
the provision of 50 beehives for each village company to generate more
income based on natural resource conservation. Training on apiary management
has also been provided. To reinforce the governance and management capacity
of the community bandas, Pact Inc. is providing organizational support
through training and mentoring.
The Kasigau bandas demonstrate that enterprises based upon natural
resources in a sustainable manner can be profitable. This approach is
also a cost-effective way of conserving the environment, and one in
which the local residents are the primary stakeholders and view themselves
as responsible for their environment.
Kasiagu Community Banda Enterprise
