DRIVEN BY CAMPFIRE
Despite developing quickly, Zimbabwe has pockets of severe poverty. Under colonial rule, much of the land with the least agricultural potential was designated as communal lands, where the country's poorest inhabitants still struggle to survive. These areas are plagued by persistent drought, with accompanying widespread soil erosion, river siltation, and loss of vegetative cover.
Binga: Portrait of Rural Life in
Living in such precarious conditions means that if wildlife damage crops or livestock, it can ruin people's very livelihoods. Elephant damage is a significant factor in crop loss in many parts of the district. Not surprisingly, until CAMPFIRE project money was used to build solar-powered fences around agricultural land and villages, local residents were not interested in conserving their wildlife, which they saw as dangerous and destructive. Through CAMPFIRE, these same wild animals are now vital to rural development in the district: revenues from fishing, game hunting and wildlife tourism are used to supplement individual household incomes and for community development projects. In 1980, before CAMPFIRE, the Binga district only had thirteen primary schools and no secondary schools. By 1995 the district boasted some 56 primary schools and nine secondary schools.
'Up until 1985, we were a people without hope. Our children too were suffering as diseases took their toll. There were no schools, no wells and no clinics. Villagers continually sought help as they were engaged in a desperate struggle to survive. With CAMPFIRE, we now have rural health centres within easy reach.' Chief Sinakatenge, Binga district.
CAMPFIRE: Generating Income
CAMPFIRE provides a legal way for rural communities to harvest their natural resources on a sustainable basis, thus enhancing their income directly in several ways:
A recent report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimated that CAMPFIRE has increased household income in communal areas by 15-25%. At the end of 1992, people in Hurungwe district received US$ 119,342 through CAMPFIRE. In 1993, they received $145,519. When distributed among households, CAMPFIRE revenues can provide a form of food security against the frequent droughts.
'Five years ago, Kanyurira ward was a community of no-hopers. Since the introduction of CAMPFIRE they have built a school, are building a clinic, and have purchased a tractor to plough the fields. Their managerial skills have improved dramatically.... Community meetings are fully attended and each committee keeps good financial records.' Department of National Parks, 1994.
CAMPFIRE revenues have been used for much-needed community development projects, such as:
Building Capacity: Training and Employment
A significant part of rural development is empowering people to shape their own development. CAMPFIRE has not only significantly increased the number of schools in remote areas - such as in Binga district - but has also led to local organisations holding workshops and training in topics such as bookkeeping, project planning, and other managerial and employment skills;
CAMPFIRE has also created employment in remote communal lands. Local residents have gained permanent jobs in safari and tourist camps, and become part-time game scouts and tourist guides. People from rural communities have worked building village fences, clinics and schools. In Masoka village in the Dande Communal Lands, rural women were formally employed for the first time, working on CAMPFIRE projects.
Securing the Future: the Way Forward
To advance rural development efforts in Zimbabwe's communal lands, further technical assistance will be needed. They also need secure land tenure and rights over their wildlife. In addition:
CAMPFIRE: Women have their say in development
Gender issues in CAMPFIRE came to the fore during the first time that CAMPFIRE household dividends were distributed in Kanyurira ward, in north-eastern Zimbabwe. The term 'household' was left undefined, and the district council had been informed that there were 86 households, which rose to 96 by the distribution day. Women complained that some widows qualified as household heads, while others didn't. In addition a substantial number of married women wanted to be registered in their own right, since they also worked in the fields which had been destroyed by wildlife. Local women organised a meeting to resolve the issue, demanding equal rights and safeguarding their role in CAMPFIRE.
Getting women to participate adequately in community decision-making has been challenging, especially as many rural women have heavy workloads, and lack sufficient time and skills to become involved effectively. However, most CAMPFIRE areas have women on their wildlife committees. Tsholothso and Bulilima Mangwe districts are leading the way, mostly due to training activities targeted at involving women in CAMPFIRE. In Bulilima Mangwe for example, all the Ward Wildlife Committees have at least one female member, and the Inter-Ward Wildlife Committee has a female Vice Chairperson and Secretary.
Since it started in 1989, more than a
quarter of a million rural Zimbabweans have begun managing their natural
resources and guiding their own development through the Communal Area
Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE). This fact sheet
has been produced by the CAMPFIRE Association and the Africa Resources
Trust on behalf of the CAMPFIRE Collaborative Group.
For more details, contact:
For more details, contact: