Conservation and Environmental Education Project (CEEP)
A collaborative partnership between Mgahinga Community Development Organization (MCDO) and Daktari Andorra both implementing Conservation and Environmental Education Project (CEEP) in Kisoro district, South Western Uganda
Project Description
The CEEP pilot project which encompasses all possible strategies at the community intends to promote environmental sustainability and resiliency to climate change in southwestern Uganda. The pilot project will be implemented at Mgahinga Community Nursery and Primary School in Kisoro district and will take place from September 2017 to February 2018. The project will then be scaled to other primary schools around Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Daktari Andorra, the Association for improving the health and welfare of African livestock, is the prime recipient of the project and the local implementing partner is Mgahinga Community Development Organization (MCDO). The project will train 200 of students in conservation education, protection of wildlife, tree planting, and environmental conservation
Project focal areas include the following activities
Ø Visits by pupils to Mgahinga & Bwindi Gorilla National Parks, and/or Queen Elizabeth National Park to increase student’s awareness on wildlife conservation.
Ø Promoting reforestation at the community level through the development of tree nursery beds and planting of native vegetation/indigenous tree species to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
Ø Sensitive students and their families on the role of waste management on Sanitation and Hygiene improvement.
Conduct workshops to improve students’ knowledge on Uganda wildlife with special emphasis on those animals at the verge of extinction such as the mountain gorillas. In addition to the mentioned activities, some workshops and events will be conducted to educate the local communities on key environmental concepts to complement conservation education and awareness issues that the school children will have learnt from this project.
Community Ownership and Sustainablity
With this project, MCDO and Daktari believe that local stakeholders, including indigenous communities (such as Batwa), youths and children should be at the centre of conservation programs. This will make local communities better custodians of the environment. As a result, the project will have influence on community perception on the benefits biodiversity resources and encourage them to be advocates of environmental conservation and sustainable development.