CONFERENCE TO SPOTLIGHT NEW E-WASTE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR KENYA

Kenya and UNEP host National e-Waste Conference and Exhibition

UNEP estimates that over 17,000 tonnes of electronic waste is generated in Kenya annually.

Nairobi, 28 May 2014 - A National e-Waste Conference and Exhibition was held in Nairobi, to identify solutions to Kenya's mounting e-waste problem. Focusing on the potential economic and environmental benefits of the responsible management of e-waste, stakeholders discussed ways to reduce the hazards arising from the disposal of electronic equipment in Kenya.

MAMA SHUJAA WA CHAKULA & MAISHA PLUS 2014 CLOSING EVENT.

Winner of Maisha Plus Boniface Nyakana with Two sisters from Data Vision, Babu, Guest of Honor from Ministry of Agriculture and  Jane Foster from Oxfarm

Chris Donaldson, Fredina Said (ForumCC Climate Change Adaptation Ambassador), Grace Muhagama (Climate Change Award from Ekama), Hilda and Rossie from Ekama and Ibrahimu Muhazi from ForumCC

Chris Donaldson, Tajiel Urioh, Grace Muhagama (Climate Change Award from Ekama), Fredina Said (ForumCC Climate Change Adaptation Ambassador), Rossie from Ekama and Ibrahimu Muhazi from ForumCC

1,000,000.00 TSH TO FREDINA SAID, FORUMCC CLIMATE CHANGE AMBASSADOR 2014

Hilda from Ekama, giving speech in Female Food Hero 2014 Closing Event.

ForumCC Ambassador Fredina Said, was so happy, here she is talking with Ibrahimu Muhazi

Centre is ForumCC Banner in Maisha Plus ground Bagamoyo

ForumCC Communication Officer Tajiel Urioh explaining on ForumCC Climate Change Adaptation Ambassador, Fredina Said she is our first Ambassador.

ForumCC Finance & Administration Officer Ibrahimu Muhazi explaining on how payment will be done to Ambassador Fredina said.

ForumCC Finance & Administration Officer Ibrahimu Muhazi giving speech during the closing event of Mama Shujaa wa Chakula.

Tajiel Urioh from ForumCC + Eluka Kibona from Oxfarm with Rossie from Ekama + Ibrahimu Muhazi from ForumCC

Tajiel Urioh with Female Food Hero 2014 Bahati Muriga.

Am the WINNER- Bahati Muriga from Ukerewe Mwanza

Bahati Muriga with Upendo Msuya

Maisha Plus Top 3, from left Ally Thabit, Boniface Nyakana and Hyasinta Hokororo

Jane Foster, Director of Oxfarm Tanzania

Good news....Hyasinta Hokororo won brand new laptop from Data Vision

Female Food Hero 2014 Contesters

Ambassador  Fredina Said with guest of honors

Because am Happy........Thats Fredina Said, with ForumCC Officer

Grace Mahumbuka won a prize from Ekama Foundation on climate Change

Group Photo-Maisha Plus & Female Food Hero 2014

Some of invited Guests

Boniface Nyakana (Winner of Maisha Plus Season 4), Tajiel Urioh and Bahati Muriga (Winner of Female Food Hero Season 3)

Hyasinta Hokororo, winner number two for Maisha Plus 2014, won a laptop from Data Vision 

Tajiel Urioh and Bahati Muriga

FORUMCC WRITING COMPETITION- ARTICLE AND POEM

As we move towards commemoration of World Environmental Day 2014, ForumCC launch writing competition on articles and poems, with theme of Wake up…Climate Changes…Adapt now. This theme intends to raise public awareness about climate changes and emphasize community to adapt these changes now. Other theme are Raise your Voice not the Sea Level (World Environment day 2014) and Tunza Mazingira ili Kukabiliana na Mabadiliko ya Tabianchi (Tanzania)

PRIZE:                                    Cash prizes of Tsh 200,000, T-shirts and many others!!!!

TIMEFRAME:                       12^th to 30^th May 2014.

WRITING LANGUAGE:     ENGLISH AND SWAHILI

AGE:                                       BELOW 30 YEARS OLD.

RULES FOR FORUMCC WRITING COMPETITION

1. Participant must join our web forum and post interesting topic on environment, here is a link http://forumcc.org/index.php/forum/index, Many replies on post will add advantage for contesters
2. Participant must like and follow our pages both Facebook and Twitter:  Facebook link- https://www.facebook.com/ForumCCTz , Twitter link- https://twitter.com/forumcc
3. Participant may decide to write either article or poem on Wake up…! Climate Changes… Adapt now, this theme intend to raise public awareness on climate change, and it encourage people to adapt now, Write to let them wake up as climate is changing, and how they can adapt these changes.
4. Participant may choose one theme out of three provided, but first priority can be Wake up…! Climate Changes… Adapt now,
5. This competition is open to all except postgraduate
6. All articles should not exceed 1000 words and not below 800 words
7. All poems should not exceed 12 verses and not below 10 verses, each verse should have 4 lines.
8. Contest timeframe – 12th to 30th May 2014
9. Employees of ForumCC or their family members shall not be permitted to enter the competition. 
10. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition
11. The winner will be notified by email/phone call before World Environment Day (5 June 2014).
12. All articles and poem should be in Microsoft Word Format
13. All articles and Poem should be sent to win@forumcc.org with FORUMCC WRITING COMPETITION as e-mail subject.
14. In e-mail participant should identify his/her Name, Age, Phone number and Current address. 

Chololo Ecovillage: A model of good practice in climate change adaptation and mitigation

Chololo Eco-Village is located in Dodoma, 45 km from town; number of population is 4,079 with 1,111 households. Project started September 2011 to May 2014 with title “EMPOWERING VULNERABLE RURAL COMMUNITIES TO ADAPT AND MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN CENTRAL TANZANIA”.

Before project implementation village was characterized with slash and burn as predominant tillage practice, dry planting, farmyard manure applied on cropland after planting, planting was randomly, low plant population, poor agronomic practices, use of farmers saved seed with low genetic potential.

But now…Chilolo Ecovillage is A model of good practice in climate change adaptation and mitigation, Empowered a community to test, evaluate and take up 26 climate change innovations:- in Agriculture, Livestock, Water, Energy and Forestry.

In Agriculture

Project has introduced a package of ecological agriculture technologies to make the most of the limited rainfall, improved soil fertility, reduce farmers’ workload, and improve the quality of local seeds. These includes Ox-drawn tillage, Soil water conservation measures, Farmyard manure, Improved early-maturing high-yielding seeds, Optimal plant population, Community seed production, Intercropping and crop rotation, fish farming as well.

“Before the project I was farming traditionally. In pearl millet I was getting an average of 2 bags per acre but now I am getting 5-6 bags per acre. In sunflower I am getting 6-7 bags per acre compared to the past where I was getting 2 bags per acre” Stefano Chifaguzi- Anna Malengo- Chololo community member.

“I got education in fish keeping and made a fishpond, which is supplying fish for my family. I am also using water from the fishpond to irrigate my flowers and papaya trees and seedlings. I am now getting papaya fruits and I am selling seedlings to different people within and outside the village. With water availability, fish can be produced at home and provide food for the household” Agness Mwalimu- Chololo community member.

In Livestock

“The project aims to increase the genetic potential of local livestock breeds, improve productivity, livestock health and feeding” Dr Francis Njau- Project Manager.

The project has increased the generic potential of livestock in the village, through the introduction of improved breeds of cattle, goats, chickens. This has increased the productivity of the animals, producing more meat and more eggs, more quickly. Through training, livestock keepers are now more able to keep their livestock healthy, and ensure they have adequate feed, particularly during the dry season. Also leather production training was provided for 40 people.

“Making leather products has made us self-employed. In November 2013, we made 50 pairs of sandals and sold them for 12000/= to 18000/= Tsh each. I advise other rural people to make use of hides and skins to make leather goods. This will reduce poverty and help them adapt climate change ” Anna Malengo- Chololo community member.

In Water

Access of clean, safe and quality water is a big challenge to most of areas in Tanzania, including Chololo village in Central Tanzania. When the project began in October 2011, there was no drinking water supply to the village as the borehole equipment had broken down, so people (mostly women and girls) had to walk for two hours a day to get a bucket of water from the next village. The project is tackling these issues through several innovations, including:- the village water supply is now powered by solar energy, The village primary school has been equipped with  roof catchment rainwater harvesting equipment, capturing 60,000 liters of water in underground tanks.

“Since the installation of the solar water pump, water is available every day. The price of water has gone down from 50 Tsh in the past 25 Tsh per bucket. When we were using the diesel pump, there were frequent breakdowns and we were using a lot of money for repairs, and during the repairs and during the repair water was not available.” Joina Mgohachi- Chololo Water committee member

“The first benefit to the school was from rainwater harvested through roof catchment. The water is enjoyed by the children and community surrounding school. Children are water all the time for drinking and washing their clothes. Water is also available to irrigate trees and tree nurseries. School children pass the rainwater harvesting knowledge to their parents and start their own rainwater harvesting” Amon Mada- Chololo Primary School Teacher

In Energy & Forestry

Tanzania loses around 1% of its forest cover every year. This means around a year millions acres of forest is cut down annually. Reliance on wood fuel and charcoal for cooking is a key driver of deforestation as 94% of all (rural and urban) energy consumption is derived from these sources.

The project has supported the community to take up, test and evaluate a range of alternative energy technologies, including energy saving cooking stoves, and low cost domestic biogas plants. The project trained 12 women how to construct energy-saving stoves, carried out community sensitization.

Energy saving-stoves halve the amount of wood needed to cook, reducing pressure on forest resources, saving women time and effort, reducing harmful smoke at home.

“You can cook two pots at a time and there is no coughing due to smoke. In the past I was using two bundles of firewood per week on my three-stone traditional stove but now am using less than one bundle per week with the energy saving stove. This has reduced the burden of fetching firewood, which is now scarce due to deforestation. I advise other women to just get an energy saving stoves” Mama Chifaguzi- Chololo community member.

“Modern beekeeping provides us more honey than traditional beekeeping” Michael Mbumi- Village Chairperson

Chololo Eco-Village Project is really life touching and made remarkable changes in semi-arid area toward climate change. Currently 97% out of 4,079 people in Chololo Ecovillage, 46% are now using adaptation innovations and food shortage is reduced by 50%.

Thanks to European Union (who funded project), Dr Francis Njau (Project Manager-IRDP), Implementing Partners and Chololo Eco-Village Community. ForumCC appreciate much.

Forum CC - Tanzania's Civil Society Forum on Climate Change.

CLIMATE CHANGE TANZANIA: POLICY ISSUES INFLUENCING GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON IT.

Access of safe and enough water is a challenge for most of us

 Climate change is a recent national policy concern. The earlier emphasis given to sustainable development has provided a platform for climate change to be considered within several sector policy processes. However, in spite of these sector polices there is no over-arching national climate change policy at present, with policy direction remaining anchored in the 1997 National Environmental Policy. The 2004 Environmental Management Act prescribed that the Minister responsible for the environment would assume the national leadership role on climate change, thus setting the course of subsequent action on climate change in Tanzania. 

  

Several national initiatives have been undertaken at the strategy level: the 2007 National Adaptation Programme of Action; the 2012 National Climate Change Strategy; and the 2013 National REDD+ Strategy and Action Plan; all of which received strong development partner support.   Climate change is also now recognized as a challenge to national development within the current five-year National Development Plan and Tanzania Development Vision 2025.

The 2012 National Climate Change Strategy represents a significant milestone, but it needs to be further strengthened to include: (i) the identification of priority programmes; (ii) their budgeted costs; and (iii) the expected sources of funding, if implementation is to be secured. The Strategy was developed through a thorough and extensive consultative process involving different thematic groups including ForumCC, where stakeholders could present their views to provide input and influence the process.  What is less clear is how these stakeholder views were later analysed and incorporated into the strategy. 

The financing of climate change actions appears to be treated primarily as a budgetary rather than a policy issue, with the national strategy providing only the briefest of references to the financing mechanisms required implementing climate change actions.  Mention is made of the leadership required from the Ministry of Finance, whilst at the same time suggesting that a national climate fund may be necessary to manage all sources of finance efficiently.

ForumCC