Leveraging Partnerships in Makame WMA

UCRT trained 75 members of the Authorised Association (AA) of Makame Community Wildlife Management Area (CWMA) so that communities can benefit directly from tourism investment in the area. UCRT successfully built the capacity of the AA to negotiate and sign fair contracts with two investors. The AA subsequently received their first payment of $80,000 USD of a contract worth $144,000 per year for 5 years.

Through training on roles and responsibilities and amending the AA constitution, income is now being managed transparently. The AA has used some of this income to employ 30 community members as game scouts. Part of the income was equally distributed between the five villages within Makame WMA and used to fund a water project and health dispensary among other services.

“I am happy that investors have signed contracts with us directly and now pay money to our CWMA. In the past these investors did not care about our villages and were hunting our animals through contracts signed in Dar es Salaam. UCRT helped us understand how to negotiate fair contracts with the investors and how to manage our income from those contracts. Half our income is distributed equally between five villages. We are employing Village Game Scouts from our communities to protect our land and our wildlife."
-Elizabeth Kisau, Makame CWMA AA member, Ngabolo Village -Elizabeth Kisau, Makame CWMA AA member, Ngabolo Village