I’ personal feel that the proposed project has really benefited the community around this place. There is a big improvement in schools, which have been guided by Wildlife Works. Since it was started in the year 2002, to mention a few Wildlife Works has helped by constructing new classrooms, renovating classes, putting up water tanks and buying desks for pupils. All these have led to the improvement of the academic standards of the concerned schools.
Apart from this Wildlife works has sponsored so many students to higher education. I believe in future the living standards of the community around will be highly improved. If it were not Wildlife Works then standards of living will remain poor for so many years. To add on this Wildlife woks has employed people to the Epz factory and others have been employed as Rangers at Rukinga sanctuary. This has improved the living standards of the people around. I am sure the proposed REDD project will help and benefit Members of the community around even more. I conclude by saying since Wildlife Works was introduced, the community has learnt that poaching of animals is not good for it reduces economy of our country. The community have also discovered that they should conserve and plant more trees so that they can get rains and water.
Yours at service
Peterson Msinga Mwatate
Head teacher- Kale primary school.
October 9, 2009
I’ Renson Dio, Taita ranching company limited Director cum Treasurer applaud this project to take off immediately as at now the current environmental climate change is leading the world to disaster.
Being a resident of Kasigau location and border Marungu Location, I have personal benefited from Wildlife Works and the locals too, like sponsorship programs of our pupils to secondary schools and colleges not forgetting university levels, employment to our locals in Epz Maungu, construction of classrooms. In Taita Ranch headquarters the ranch benefited from Wildlife Works through giving four buffalos that were being kept as in a zoo by providing maize germ during this drought period. Taita Ranching through Mr. Renson Dio has benefited from Wildlife Works by being given vehicles for patrols by Mr. Rob Dodson in our Ranch, to mention but a few.
I propose the project to take off immediately.
Thanks
Renson Dio
Director
Taita Ranching Co. Ltd.
October 8, 2009
Comment A
This comment concerns the following aspects of the project.
1. G3 –project design and goals-
schools construction and bursary scheme
2. CM1.1 – Estimate impacts
on communities. While the achievements of the project are acknowledged and
highly appreciated, there is room for improvement in order to justify the
assertion that there are no negative impacts. For example facilities being
provided for primary schools around Kasigau need to be extended to the very
few secondary schools in the area. This will remove a feeling that students
going from primary school to secondary school are moving a step backward
rather than forward.
Comment B
‘Climate section’ is lacking relevant data on the rates of evaporation and transpiration associated with the eco-system in general and the area species of vegetations in particular.
Comment C
Annex D: Village profiles should be edited so as to enhance its credibility. There is further more in sufficient supporting statistical information to highlight claims of achievements of the project.
Engineer C.M Mwakulomba
Kasigau Location
October 9, 2009
In regards to the respect that I uphold for Wildlife Works, as person, since I saw it as an organization to the time I came to meet it, I must say that if you don’t know who they are then you better find out because its in involving yourself with them that you get to find the gold that you either have been throwing or the destruction that you can prevent yourself from.
As a person that is part of Wildlife Works project since 2002, through an education sponsorship program it’s quite visible that Wildlife works cares for the well being of the community and the environment as a whole. I also have success stories that were initiated by wildlife works, throughout my sponsorship program, where we were informed on the importance of conserving the environment, hence started a project of planting trees to prevent the land from deforestation, and land erosions.
It’s from Wildlife Works that people have learnt how conserve the environment, how to live with the wildlife, importance of Eco-system, effects of poaching, methods of farming within the community, hence making a relationship between animals and the people living along the rukinga sanctuary.
Economically, the communities that live around rukinga have had benefits through employment in the sanctuary, wardens, rangers etc, bright children have had a chance of studying to the 0-level (secondary education), also to the A-level( University) that can enable them secure job opportunities and be part of those who bring a change to the community.
Socially, the communities have grown in the sense that they known the importance of a clean environment, why they need to reduce deforestation, importance of trees, the nature of their environment, how to cope well with it and now the gaffer project that gives awareness of HIV/AIDS, and reducing the idleness of the youths through involving them in events like sports.
Wildlife works has been supportive, educative both in the social and the economic lifestyles and we hope that it will continue to dwell to see the fruits of the trees that it has planted for the betterment of the wildlife, the community, our lifestyle and our land as a whole.
I fully support the efforts of Wildlife Works and all its projects including
the REDD project in making our land; people and animals have the best place
for living in peace and togetherness.
Regards,
Sylvester Izaka,
IT & Network support engineer. (CBS)
October 8, 2009
Ever since the year the year 2000 when I came to know what actually Wildlife Works was, this organization has been of very great importance to many. Not only to individuals but also the community at large. I strongly believe that with the introduction of the Kasigau corridor REDD project, there will be even more benefits to the community.
Education could have been history to most people in this region. Through Wildlife Works classrooms were built in most primary schools in this region. This ensured smooth running of school programs without being affected by the weather changes since the formerly grass thatched classrooms were out of use during rainy season. Wildlife Works ensured that education of the bright children does not end at primary level but it is continued to high school. This was done through introduction of the sponsorship program and really benefited may including me.
Wildlife Works has also educated the community so as to live peacefully with wild animals in order to reduce human wildlife conflict. This has in return reduced poaching in the region since most people are now well informed with the dangers of bush meat.
I strongly support the introduction of the Kasigau corridor REDD project because it will create employment to most people in our community and the standard of living will change. Many children in this region will be able to go to high school and also a lot more trees will be planted in the region which will attract rain leading to improved agriculture.
Rehema Mwavuo
Volunteer Teacher – Marungu Secondary School.
Marungu Location, Nyangala Division, Voi District
September 30, 2009
Since the inception of Wildlife Works 11 years ago, great strands have been achieved. The most noticeable one being cited here:
a) There has been full acceptance of Wildlife Works as part of our inheritance and so great measures have been put in place to conserve and co-existed. This has been due to education provided by Wildlife Works and other stakeholders.
b) The town of Maungu has grown, Wildlife Works has provided market for the local produce, it has cleaned and provided cleaning facilities and inseminated the inhabitants the need to live dirty free environment.
c) Wildlife Works – Maungu has offered employment to many locals i.e. security, drivers, mechanics, clerks, rangers etc curbing the rural urban migration and uplifting the living standards of our people.
d) Wildlife Works – Maungu has initiated, supported renovated and constructed classrooms. They have also contributed for other school related facilities in many neighboring schools, a measure ‘‘we” as Members of the community appreciated.
e) The GAFFER, which started through Wildlife Works, has given alternatives to our idle youth. They have been made occupied, shown the importance of sports, appreciating and accepting one another and accommodating other persons weaknesses through the sports spirit, a gesture that has made rather hostile communities to co-exist peacefully.
f) The GAFFER has also initiated the planting of trees in different schools and other public institutions around Wildlife Works. The community has really benefited. We fully support the REDD project.
g) The education trust under umbrella KELIMU TRUST has helped our destitute children to access hire school education so far some have even joined tertiary institutions still under KELIMU TRUST. Wildlife Works - Maungu has an upper hand in this and therefore it’s hard to detach this benefit from them.
h) During hard times such as drought and other natural disasters Wildlife Works come in hand to aid the affected people. This has been evident recently when the aged and the poor got relief food from Born Free organization still associated with Wildlife Works – Maungu.
And a move towards enhancing Wildlife Works will definitely assist us positively, their priority areas are always friendly and we are sure the carbon project, Kasigau corridor Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) will be a great advantage to us. The project diversity will finally explore to tap rather the idle recourses likely to sum up more profit and benefit to Wildlife Works then to us the surrounding community. The proposed REDD project will add value to the eco-system under the umbrella of Wildlife Works. Care and security of our Wildlife will be assured.
Our area is trans-passed by a railway line, trans Africa highway, and pipeline station all heavy emitters of carbon and carbon monoxide gasses. The carbon project (REDD) will absorb and reduce their entry into the atmosphere hence curbing fully or reducing the rate of global warming, we the community at large support the REDD project due to the above stated aspects.
Thank you
The resident – Maungu
Teacher and Instructor
V Wambua Masai
September 29, 2009
I as resident of Maungu, would like to welcome the Rukinga sanctuary REDD project. Wildlife Works have done a lot to the community since they started operations in 1998. Children have been taken to secondary school, I being among the beneficiaries of the program. All the bright kids from the poor families were being sponsored for higher education, which was started from 2002.
Wildlife Works has also created employment to the community by employing the youth as Rangers, Mass production machinist, and some at the green house project.
In 2002 Wildlife Works contributed about three hundred desks in Marasi primary school this is due to the children who had no where to sit in class.
Wildlife Works is bordered by the poor community who, big percentage depend on the charcoal burning and bush meat poaching for survival, therefore I will recommend for more projects in the area for more job creation.
Last and not least I am praying to God if Wildlife Works have can stay for long time and also keep on helping our people in Marungu community. Our living standard could not have been changed if Wildlife Works was not there.
Yours sincerely
Antony Lundi
Voi constituency – Maungu office
October 3, 2009
I would like to comment on the above mentioned project for Rukinga sanctuary.
Environment
What I never thought of and has been done by the project on environment is: seedlings provision to the local community, environment conservation within the area, which has led to a better and beautiful environment, modern jikos were constructed for the community which uses few firewood and also reduces heavy smoke to the atmosphere. On the sanitary has accompanied the community especially at Maungu town on rubbish collection.
Wild animals have been conserved in the sanctuary, which has improved tourist attraction in Kenya
Education
The project has already assisted the community by improved education in the area by doing the following: construction of classrooms, provision of desks, books and educating the bright student from the poor families from form one to form four.
Employment
The project has economically assisted the community by employing the Rangers who assist on environment, wildlife conservation and many other things.
Epz factory – by formation of the Epz many especially the youth got jobs.
Relief food
The project has assisted the community by provision on the relief food to the needy people.
In my opinion is to pray so that the project can be expanded to be a bigger project – We really appreciate the project for all what has been done for us.
CHIEF’S OFFICE
THE MANAGER
WILDLIFE WORKS
P.O. BOX 310 – VOI
October 5, 2009
Comment forwarded to CCBA by the project proponent
SASIGAU CORRIDOR REDD PROJECT- PUBLIC COMMENTS
VOTE OF THANKS:
In your endeavors to educate, reduce poverty, conserve and protect the environment both flora and fauna I give you kudos! Congratulations.
Your support in both primary and secondary class rooms construction, and providing higher education support to high performers who are under – privileged is un- surpassed.
COMMENTS: RUKINGA SACTUARY
RE: FORESTATION
Encourage more tree nurseries and provide free seedling in exchange for any indigenous tree planted, germinate seeds both indigenous, citrus fruits and climbers and disperse them aerially, and manually near fertile wetlands and swamps during rain season.
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
The long distance covered by wild life both grazers and browser etc is in search of water. Construct more water pans and several boreholes, which can be wind-powered within the sanctuary.
SECURITY SURVEILANCE AND PROTECTION
Provide Rangers with sets of binoculars, V.H.F radios sets and construct strategic watchtower in flat grassy areas to monitor and report cattle movement, wildlife poachers, wood loggers, smoke etc.
CONSTRUCT ELECTRIC FENCES IN WILDLIFE – HUMAN CORRIDORS.
The animal ingressions into human settlement areas are well known. While the highly mountains act as a natural shield. Five key areas require attention, where cheap P.V.C poles and solar power electric fencing can be erected
FOOD AID: FOR TREES PLANTED AND SURVIVING
The foodstuff occasionally provided by Wildlife Works Epz should be complemented
by the tree planted and surviving from the beneficiaries.
DISABLED PEOPLES
While Wildlife Works Epz has done so much to the community at large, it has not involved itself deeply in the disabled societies, or individuals. Provide basic training or seminars to the disabled and assist them with working tools example: shoes marker, carpenters, masons, electricians and brick marker etc.
ENEMIES OF THE SANCTUARY
Charcoal burners, tree cutter, poacher, honey hunters miners and prospective grass harvesters and cattle grazers, to mention but a few.
Solution: Electric fence at the strategic entry points, community policing i.e. employ informers and guards within the bordering community/ settlement.
Thanks you:
Briviant Shako – Technical Works
P.o. Box 25 Voi - Maungu
Email: Briviantshako@yahoo.com
TEL: 0726445458
October 9, 2009
I would like to make my comments for the Project Design Document (PDD) for Kasigau corridor Reduced Emission Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) project as follows:
Mount Kasigau – The Project needs to cover the mountain area by planting more trees because this is the only water source neighbouring the project zone. Like other water towers in the country, Mt. Kasigau is one of the affected due to harvesting of sandalwood and its ecosystem degraded. There is need to incorporate Mt. Kasigau by establishing tree nurseries in the villages around the mountain to mitigate the adverse sandalwood destruction effects to strengthen the weakened ecosystem at the water tower.
Mechanism should be set up to help the integrity of the project and help the local community from exploitation forces within and without the project area.
We appreciate Wildlife Works because they have contributed to the social, economic and well-being of the community living next to the project zone. In addition they have done improvements in schools infrastructures, offering education bursaries to bright needy children in the community, aiding dame scouts in de-snaring and arresting the game poachers, establishment of tree nurseries have created environment awareness to the community.
Wildlife works also cooperate very well with the local community leaders in terms of development, like for example they participate in most of the local Baraza’s to create wildlife and environment conservation awareness. They contribute in clean ups of the towns within the project zone. The community leaders also once assisted in eviction when the squatters invaded and developed part of Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary (5000 Acres).
This project zone is neighbored by farmlands with no cash crops to sustain farmers; the severe drought that has exaggerated the area has forced most of the locals to destruct trees for charcoal burning/logging and poaching for livelihood. I will request for drought resistant cash crops like jathropper and jojoba to be introduced in the farms neighboring the project zone in order to alleviate poverty.
Pascal Kizaka
Chief of Kasigau Location, Voi/Kenya
September 28, 2009
I as an assistant chief of Maungu community, I do appreciate a lot to what Wildlife Works have done to my people. Therefore I will highly support Kasigau corridor REDD project which is being implemented by Wildlife Works. Below is what has been achieved by Wildlife Works for the last ten years:
In education, the community has benefited a lot due to the sponsorships offered through Wildlife Works. More than 50 kids have been sponsored to secondary school education and even some to university level. Some of these kids have finished their education and are now working within the community. These being the fruits of education, most of the parents are working hard to see their children go to school.
We’ve been working together with Wildlife Works in environment conservation especially in cleaning the towns. They have been helping the community with tools and materials for the clean ups activities, at the same time provide seedlings for environment cover. Wildlife Works has also introduced smokeless jikos to the community for clean environment.
The community has benefited a lot especially during drought seasons, the company together with other related companies help in donation of aid food to the poorest families within the area of the project zone.
Wildlife Works has created employment opportunities to the community from their projects within the company, among the project are: EPZ eco-factory, Rukinga wildlife sanctuary, Green house project and Jojoba research project.
I would like to congratulate Wildlife Works for all they have done to uplift the standard of living in this community and therefore welcome the introduction of REDD project as we are still in need especially water, this is still a major problem in the community and I hope it will be solved with the4 introduction of REDD project.
Thank you
Driscilah M. Ngele
Assistant Chief’s Office
Maungu Sub-Location
P.O.Box 134 – 80300
VOI
October 5, 2009
Comment 1
I am really encouraging the introduction of Kasigau corridor REDD project, for sure a lot will be done.
I knew wildlife works ten years ago, when they were handing over the classrooms they helped to build in Buguta, Kale and Marungu where the ceremony was held.
I used to work with forestry department by that time and wildlife works invited me to help the guest of honour with the planting of the ceremonial trees. From that time I got very much involved with them especially with the training of the communities how to establish tree nurseries.
To help the communities living around Mt. Kasigau to conserve the mountain, wildlife works conducted vegetation survey to find how much damage is done and involved the locals by identifying the plants in each plot.
Wildlife works helped sponsoring bright children so that they could get good education; get good job and stop poaching and making charcoal.
To continue protecting Kasigau corridor, wildlife works helped with the training of community scouts who patrols around the village to educate the communities the importance of wildlife and to remove the snares put around the community’s farms. If it wasn’t wildlife works, Rukinga ranch could have been encroached by the people living adjacent to it and could also make the movement of elephants from Tsavo east to west impossible, as this is their migratory corridor.
Long Live Wildlife Works
Keep on working with communities.
Kenneth Nyange
Project Manager – Camp Tsavo
October 9, 2009
Comment forwarded to CCBA by the project proponent