Agroforestry in Kilunda

The NGO wants to work in the Kilunda district (approx. 500 km south-east of Kinshasa), in particular in the village of Kindundu. The project will conserve 25 ha of forest, where no human activity is allowed, at least during the project phase to ensure the regeneration of forest resources. Moreover, 10 ha of savanna connected to this forest patch will be reforested by using a mix of local and exotic tree species to enlarge the forest area. A biodiversity inventory will be made before chosing the forest patch to conserve, in order to identify possible forest resources (NTFPs) for extraction and commercial use. At the same time, the existing forests will be better protected through village forest committees. The NGO has experience with rehabilitation of water sources through tree planting activities, with good results after three years. The main objective of the project is to improve agricultural productivity, and thereby improving the nutritional situation of the population. Through the regeneration of the forest, foods such as caterpillars and mushrooms will be available again. Another objective is to provide fuel wood for cooking. The proposed project constitutes a pilot phase, and it is envisaged that the project, if successful, will be replicated in other villages in the Kilunda sector.

Main achievements include: A total of 15 families were trained and now rearing rabbits and poultry A total of 30 families have established gardens A simple plan management plan of the community forest is underway By-laws for conservation are elaborated in collaboration with all the stakeholders including traditional leaders, opinion leaders and the communities of Milundu A training on forest resources inventory was provided