Naturschutz

Located in southwest Uganda, the Kibale National Park (KNP) is one of the last remaining tropical forest blocks in the country. It harbours the greatest variety and concentration of primates found anywhere in East Africa and is home to at least 350 tree species. Despite the park’s ecological value, deforestation and historic consumptive use of the park have contributed to significant deterioration of KNP’s forest and its biodiversity over the past 30 years.

Atnafu Endashaw, 12, travels on foot two hours every day from home to school. He is from the isolated Menja communities found in Sheka zone of Southern region of Ethiopia, 765 kilometers southwest of Addis Ababa. Unlike the members of Sheka tribe, Menja communities are mainly marginalized because they feed on leftovers of dead animals. “My mother told me that we (Shekas and Menjas) were brothers of the same father and mother,” says Endashaw Ayno, father of Atnafu, commenting on the origin of marginalization of Menjas from the rest of Sheka tribe.

A new concept of saving forests from further deterioration while conserving them for biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihood for local communities has been at work in Southern Leyte province since 2009, initiated by a German government organization GIZ.