BY JONAN MUZIGIT
In a bid to conserve the Rwenzori Mountains National Park and also curtail the loss of lives in the protected area, ex-poachers and residents of Kyondo sub-county, Bukonzo County East in Kasese district have mobilized themselves into a livelihood earning association.
The association’s members have decided to venture in a number of projects including goat rearing, tree planting and poultry among others to enable them earn household income as well as getting meat to eat instead of encroaching on the park and kill wild animals.
Yesterday, our reporter visited the said association’s members at Burumbika Trading Centre where a one Sarah Muhindo aged 69 and a widow requested the government to empower her with more goats so that she is enabled to meet her family needs especially educating her children and creating food security.
Zakeri Sibasi , a 68- year-old ex-poacher, said some of the widows have always blamed him for mobilizing their husbands to engage in poaching activities in the National Park, something that makes him uncomfortable.
He appealed to the government to at least support the widows so that they are curtailed from blaming him of their husbands’ deaths.
Paskali Sibaherania, revealed that they were earning a living from poaching but because of conserving nature, they decided to handover their tools to the National Park authorities and resorted to animal rearing.
Eriab Muhindo, the Secretary for the group, revealed that the group which has 50 members has so far managed to rear goats and poultry in addition to owning an acre of eucalyptus trees among others.
The Kyondo Sub- County Chairperson, Juvenal Muke revealed that the government through UWA had generated possible ways of supporting the widows of ex-poachers through their various associations, calling on the members to remain calm.
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