ENVIRONMENTAL BUDDIES-ZIMBABWE: CATCHING THEM YOUNG

June 5, 2021 was World Environment Day and thus our feature article this month is dedicated to highlighting the work of a non-governmental organization devoted to raising environmental awareness, sustainable use of natural resources, and the need to create bio-economies. The NGO's work hinges on the three pillars of sustainable development, that is People, Planet, and Environment. That organization is called Environmental Buddies- Zimbabwe also known as EBZ.

Environmental Buddies is an environmental NGO found in Zimbabwe which aims to promote sustainable forests resource and waste management in Zimbabwe. The organization's vision includes: To be a leading NGO that protects Zimbabwe’s environment through active participation by all relevant stakeholders, especially rural community members. Environmental Buddies Zimbabwe was initiated in 2013 by three young Zimbabweans that is Shamiso Winnet Mupara, Tendai Rachel Mvuvu, and Guyson Mupara due to their concern about the state of the rural communities’ environment. The three saw the need to establish community-based afforestation and reforestation projects in rural areas following massive deforestation in rural areas in the past decades. Deforestation has deprived many rural communities of their livelihoods which are traditionally centered on forest reserves. The team believed that the restoration of forests in communal areas in Zimbabwe will help rural communities derive some income from forest resources and provide the much-needed food and fruits from non-timber products. Environmental Buddies Zimbabwe was officially registered as a Trust in 2017 with the Deeds Registry Office in Harare.

The Organizational Objectives includes the following:

To introduce educational programs and community projects aimed at increasing awareness of the three pillars of development namely, the natural environment, society, and economic sector, and the role they play in sustainable development.

To promote the planting of indigenous trees  throughout the country by 2050

To ensure holistic community participation to improve the environmental well-being of such communities as a poverty reduction mechanism.

To facilitate the participation of underprivileged members of the society irrespective of gender to improve their well-being and reduce the dependency syndrome and ratio accordingly.

At the helm of this organization is one of the founding members Ms. Shamiso Mupara. Shamiso holds an MSc Environmental Science degree from the University of Botswana, 2016 and a ​BSc in Environmental Studies and Sociology from Africa University, 2007​. She is an environmentalist residing in Zimbabwe and is passionate about the environment as demonstrated by the work she is doing in planting trees to restore lost forests. Shamiso is also actively involved in Waste Management in cities by advocating for citizens to practice the 3 Rs (Reuse, Recycle and Recycle). Her passion to restore mostly native forests stems from her upbringing in the rural areas of Zimbabwe where she witnessed how the effects of massive harvesting of forests impacted mainly on women and the girl child. In addition to her work to address environmental challenges, Shamiso also assists in paying for school fees for some students from her former primary school, as well as taking care of the aged in her community.

According to Ms. Mupara some of the NGO’s key achievements life to date include;

The planting of over 10 000 indigenous tree species across four provinces in Zimbabwe.

Working with over 20 schools in environmental stewardship as part of the NGO’s Catch Them Young program.

EBZ was the first organization from Zimbabwe to be selected to participate in the United States International Program on Forest Landscape Restoration in 2018.

Spearheading household woodlot projects that have seen over 50 families establishing their tree woodlots.

Capacity building and training on environmental stewardship have reached over 5000 people across four provinces.

However, the journey has not been without some challenges for this dynamic organization top of the list includes:

The lack of funding to engage more households as EBZ relies on Corporate Social Responsibility funders.

Tree mortality due to a lack of care and funds for fencing to protect the young trees from livestock damage.

Lack of positive attitude towards native tree restoration as locals believes that indigenous trees grow on their own and don’t need any nurturing which is not correct.

The lack of funds to hire and train more forestry and environment professionals to gain more mileage in as far as the NGO’s goals are concerned.

Some of the projects EBZ is currently involved in includes the following:

Environmental Buddies Zimbabwe strives to address the challenges associated with deforestation through community-based afforestation projects. The organization is responsible for tree nurseries and the community members are responsible for planting trees in their respective homesteads, schools, churchyards, and council office yards. To date, the organization is running two community-based afforestation projects in Marange, Mutare South District, and Mutake Village in Domboshava. The main focus of the project is replanting indigenous trees as an immediate response to the increase in the decline of native forests.

Environmental Buddies, Zimbabwe realizes and aims to adhere to the stipulations of the international Waste Management Hierarchy of Reduce, Recycle and Re-use particularly the reduction of waste that ends up in the landfill. For example, Environmental Buddies, Zimbabwe re-uses various plastic containers such as water and opaque beer containers to plant tree nurseries in their Community nursery gardens. The PET unlike other plastics is usually not recycled by recycling organizations who are involved in plastic recycling and they all end up being openly burnt or in landfills. By reusing these plastic containers we minimize the amount of non-biodegradable materials which end up in landfills as well as air pollution from burning plastic compounds.

EBZ works with schools on various environmental management projects, such as afforestation and waste management projects, both in rural and urban areas. The idea is to instill values of sustainable environmental management in children as young as five years so that they grow to be adults who are environmentally sensitive and custodians of the environment. In addition by

stimulating environmental interest and stewardship in them, we hope they will share what they learn with their respective communities and families.

EBZ management believes in communities that are willing to engage in projects that abate dependency on aid, but rather promote local talent, skill, and knowledge in generating income. Through workshops, we intend to extend art and crafts skills to residents in impoverished communities. The crafts will be centered on non-timber products such as beading, basket weaving, and mat making just to mention but a few.

Named after the founding member’s father, Felix Firei Mupara, the scholarship carters for school fees and other education-related resources to rural students who show exceptional talent academically.

EBZ promotes community gardens that are co-owned and run by a group of community members. The gardens are mainly for food security at the household level. If the group harvests any surplus, this will be sold as a livelihood option. Vegetables grown include eggplant, carrots, beetroot, okra, cabbages, onions, and tomatoes. The idea is to food plates more colorful thereby improving nutrition at a household level.

Donors wishing to assist EBZ can focus on the following areas:

Technical services such as training to enhance EBZ staff members.

Monetary funding for the various projects the NGO is currently running.

The drilling of boreholes for the Out-Planting projects and fencing for the protection of trees.

Adopting a school in the Reforestation programs.

Ms Shamiso Winnet Mupara

Tel: +263 77 7559 426/+263 71 344 3882

Email: treeplanterzim@gmail.com

Web: www.ebztrust.org