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Nine village savings- and credit cooperative societies in Meatu district, Simiyu region, will benefit from a 40.4 million shilling contribution from Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris Limited. The contribution will be
administered through the Friedkin Conservation Fund (FCF), which
implements community development projects in Meatu district on behalf of Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris Ltd.
The funds will be used to finance VICOBA groups (Village Community Banks) in each of these villages in order to offer its members
micro-financing opportunities to enable them to start small scale
business ventures to provide further income generating opportunities for
themselves.
It is hoped that such initiatives will provide an alternate
source of revenue to rural community members who traditionally have
relied on the
unregulated abstraction of natural resources from Maswa Game Reserve, such as timber cutting for firewood,charcoal production amongst others, as a means to make ends meet.
unregulated abstraction of natural resources from Maswa Game Reserve, such as timber cutting for firewood,charcoal production amongst others, as a means to make ends meet.
FCF has funded a number of community projects in different key sectors of rural communities within Meatu district, including theeducation, water & health, and bee keeping sectors through funding
provided by Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris and Mwiba Holdings Ltd,
amongst other associated tourism entities.
"We are here to support communities living along the boundaries of wildlife protectedareas to be able to make a living from legal and honest activities and toraise awareness about wildlife conservation and the value of wildlife and their ecosystems" said
Nana Grosse-Woodley, the community development manager for FCF.
She said, FCF was established in Tanzania in 1994 by the Friedkin family group entities in order to carry out thepromotion of sustainable utilization of natural resources and wildlife through wildlife conservation and community enhancement projects. FCF supports
the relevant Tanzanian Authorities in anti-poaching operations in the
areas leased by Mwiba Holdings Ltd, Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris Ltd.
And Wengert Windrose Safaris (Tanzania) Ltd.
During the handing-over ceremony, the Meatu district commissioner, Dr. John
Chilongani, called on the community development officer of FCF to advise the
VICOBA groups how to ensure applications for micro-finance by the community members are based on viable business plans.
Chilongani, called on the community development officer of FCF to advise the
VICOBA groups how to ensure applications for micro-finance by the community members are based on viable business plans.
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