JECA: Enabling community to conserve environment and earning income

Jozani Environment Conservation Association (JECA) has facilitated people in Jozani and Chwaka Bay areas in Zanzibar to form groups for environmental conservation and income generating activities including farming, handcraft, and dairy goats rearing. 

JECA, which deals with environmental conservation, has also connected and coordinated villages in nine Shehia surrounding the national reserve of Jozani and Chwaka, by equipping them with the knowledge of natural resource conservation and the importance of forming income generating groups in their villages.

The implementation of the project focused on raising awareness and providing knowledge was made possible through the financial support from the Foundation for Civil Society. The Foundation supported JECA with Tshs. 30,841,850 for a one-year project starting April 2009 and ending in March 2010.

According to the District Commissioner for Kusini Unguja, Amir Rajab, the  district authority appreciate the role that JECA is playing in improving community development  and seconds the activities of JECA in the community.

He says that, JECA has been offering trainings to the community on issues pertaining to environmental conservation so that the people can be vigilant on environmental protection.

“Many people have benefited from that training. Also, we have managed to form various environmental conservation groups, including those engaging in cleanness, afforestation, awareness on policy and law, good governance and saving and credit groups.” testified the District Commissioner.

Moreover, JECA has facilitated the establishment of other organizations and empowered them to work with the community on issues of environmental management. The organizations established includes JACDO which deals with saving and credits, ZABA which deals with bee keeping and UWEMAJO which is an Association of Farmers in Jozani area. 

As a result of good work that the organisation has demonstrated during and after the implementation of project, the government was convinced in JECA thus delegated its supervisory duties of overseeing the implementation of development projects to JECA.  JECA is authorised to use the levies and fees collected from tourism to execute the supervisory duty.

JECA earns some money from the fines and charges imposed as entrance fee for the tourists and guests who visit the national reserve. The organization also owns Zawadi Community Gifts shop as a means of raising income for the sustainability of its projects.  

One of the beneficiaries, by the name Vuai Ali Haji said that many non-government organisations benefit their founders, leaders or people who are associated to them. But the situation is different to JECA because, the organisation exhausts its energy and efforts to make sure that, people who are living in Jozani and Chwaka Bay manage well their natural resources and ultimately benefit from the same.
 
Apart from the Foundation for Civil Society, JECA works with other institutions and organisations including Care International Tanzania, MC Night Foundation.