Africa-Press – Tanzania. UDZUNGWA National Park’s plans are getting in shape, as it moves to enable different groups, including the disabled, to conduct economic activities and have improved lives.
Udzungwa National Park Assistant Conservation Commissioner, Mr Abel Mtui, said here recently that after securing some funds from the Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund (EAMCEF), they have supported a women group – Udzungwa Arts and Crafts by building for them a market for their goods.
Commissioner Mtui noted that the women would be using the infrastructure free of charge, getting good opportunities to sell their products to tourists when they are waiting to go around the park and also after finishing their tour.
“We get the funds from EAMCEF for improvement of tourist areas and enable the communities. There are several groups and we have started by supporting the Udzungwa Arts and Crafts. We have greatly improved the market place and tourists can buy what they want right here,” said Mr Mtui.
He noted that they would be empowering some groups of disabled people, by constructing for them greenhouses so that they produce horticultural products. He went further to say that the disabled will be selling their crops to a hotel owned by the park – Twiga Hotel.
The hotel, added the commissioner, is up for improvement by the Park by putting in place children’ plays at the hotel grounds, so that children can enjoy when they visit the park along with their parents or guardians.
Mr Mtui thanked EAMCEF for supporting the park in improving their infrastructure, such as construction of bridges, put signposts in different routes within the park so that tourists can know in advance what they expect to find in the park, be they types of animals, birds and varieties of plants as well as other attractions.
There have been some improvements of campsites in the Park and the ‘Daily News’ was shown accolades showered to the management in writing by several tourists. He said the Park has also improved services to tour guides by providing solar panels and television sets in their field so that they get constant power, listen to news and enjoy during rest time
EAMCEF Projects Coordinator, Ms Rosemary Boniface said although The Fund used to offer support to nature reserve forests, they decided to include Udzungwa National Patk because it is on the Arc Mountains and also it was anticipated that the support would improve the conservation efforts.
One of the beneficiaries of the training of tour guides, Mr Benard Frederick said with their support, they have been able to form and register Porters and Guides Association. 19 guides got the training and their association has 17 members. The benefits of the training include getting to the required standards as well as being in positions to get employment.
