FOREST CONSERVATION PROJECT 
KICKS OFF IN TANZANIA

AFRICAN FOREST CONSERVATION PROJECT (AFCP)

The African Professional Hunters Association and their clients have established a project to preserve the forest in a manner that reinforces the value of hunting and wildlife to the local population. The project is being managed by the African PHA Foundation, Inc. (APHAF), a 501(c)3 nonprofit, public charity.

The major emphasis is to preserve and restore the forest by minimizing the cutting of trees for fuel and to promote family planning strategies that are respectful of local values and customs.

STATUS REPORT ON THE AFCP

The project started on the ground in July, 2010 with the visit of Joe Prather to Tanzania to meet with local and government officials, and to welcome Aaron Perez, our endowed Fellow to implement and document the project. Mohamed Luta, Secretary General of TAHOA, met Joe at the Dar es Salaam airport and drove him to the Spice Hotel, which became headquarters for the team in Dar es Salaam.

In the lobby of the Spice Hotel with General Manager Moshi Mbully, Joe and Aaron

Joe and Aaron also met with potential partners whom we expect to help us reach our goals. Joe and Aaron met in Dar es Salaam and then went to Ifakara, Morogoro, the area selected for the project site with the help of Mohamed Luta and Ambassador Ami Moungwe, whose home village is Ifakara.

A home in Ifakara

Traditional “3 Stone Fire” for cooking

Joe and Aaron were accompanied by the nephew of the Ambassador, Jumbe Amir Mpungwe, a very charming and enterprising young man in his early twenties. He was very helpful and effective in smoothing out the start up of the project, and will no doubt continue to of great help to Aaron and the project.

Joe and Aaron showed a new stove to Adam, the Ambassador's cook. He adapted to it immediately and took a liking to it. The next day he cooked a delicious, full dinner meal of beef curry, rice, and spinach for Joe, Aaron, and Jumbe Amir.

During the trip Joe and Aaron also met with many officials, including Gladness Mkamba and Anna Lawuo of the Ministry of Natural Resources & Tourism, Josephine Mwankusye, Executive Director of UMATI, and the Kilombero District Commissioner, Fikiri Malembeka. All of them were very enthusiastic about the project and about the benefits that the project will bring to the people and the country. They also were very thankful and appreciative of the role of the African Professional Hunters Association in bringing this project to Tanzania.

AARON PEREZ

The African PHA Foundation is pleased to welcome our endowed Fellow, Aaron Perez, who will be documenting and coordating the African Forest Conservation Project on the ground in Tanzania.

Aaron graduated from Princeton University in 2010. In pursuing his degree, Aaron demonstrated an interest in the developing world. He has gained exposure to the subject through language study, travel, and volunteer work. During the summer before his senior year at Princeton, Aaron spent a year working and living in China where he participated in a multicultural program in Beijing, Singapore, and Hong Kong. This allowed Aaron to gain business experience which will be helpful in Tanzania for our project. He hopes to bring the skills gained from his experiences in Asia to reinforce the project's developmental goals. Aaron is meeting with development and conservation focused groups to better understand the local culture. Aaron, who speaks Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and Arabic, is rapidly learning Swahili in order to communicate with the individuals living in the villages surrounding the Selous Game Reserve.

COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS ON TANZANIA 
by JOE PRATHER

On this trip to set up a conservation project, I was able to see a side of the country that I did not see on previous visits as a hunter. Tanzania has many reasons to be proud.  The country and its people are great models for Africa and the world.

My first impression of the streets of the city and villages was that they were poor, cluttered, and probably not safe, but then I noted that everyone is busy. The people are all occupied running stores, shopping, going to school, constructing buildings, and growing and selling crops. The streets may appear unsafe to a Westerner at first, but after getting more accustomed to the city and villages, I felt very safe on the streets of Dar es Salaam and Ifakara. The people are all very busy with their own business and not out to make trouble for visitors.

Based on observations during my visit, I think that not more than one person in 1,000 is a smoker, and very little alcohol is consumed.

There is an abundance of locally grown products from rice, fruits, nuts, and vegetables to sugar cane and sisal.

Tanzania is composed of people practicing a wide range of religions. The Assemblies of God, Lutheran, Catholic, and Muslim, all of whom seem to get along as well with each other as do much closer groups, such as Presbyterians and Methodists in the United States.

Tanzanians also appear to have put the issue of race behind them. All in all Tanzania is a good example for the rest of the world!

DONATIONS

We hope that you will join us by making a contribution in support of this project and to help APHAF bring the Forest Conservation Project to other areas of Africa. Please click here to donate.  Thank you for your interest and support.