Community Sub Grants

The ZIFLP is implementing community subgrants to provide incentives for communities to shift from unsustainable natural resource management to alternative livelihoods. The Intervention is aimed at enhancing the economic and environmental benefits for the rural communities in Eastern Province through income-generating and value-addition activities. The Community Sub grants projects are in the three sectors of Agriculture, Forestry and Wildlife covering income-generating activities such as beekeeping, fish farming, goat rearing, vegetable production and agro-processing implemented in an integrated manner.  The Subgrants component represents 15.8% of the total ZIFLP budget.

The Project uses the community subgrants initiative to promote sustainable natural resources management through combating deforestation and unsustainable resource extraction by involving the community in sustainable practices. By transitioning to livelihood activities such as beekeeping, mushroom, wild fruit picking, pole cutting, caterpillar collection, the community produced quality honey and reduced deforestation under the forestry sector. Keeping in tune with the Government’s Policy of promoting Climate Smart Agriculture working through the Ministry of Agriculture, the Project supported community grants supporting initiatives such as agro-processing & value addition, small livestock rearing, aquaculture and horticulture among others. Local tourism ventures such as eco-tourism lodges, paintings & handicrafts, game ranching and other community initiatives under the wildlife sector were also supported.

The Project cumulatively supported eighty-one (81) subprojects all valued at about US$ 5.4m broken down as;

• •  Thirty (30) under Agriculture and Livestock
  • Twenty-five (42) under Forestry management
  • Nine (9) under Wildlife

The supported enterprises from the 81 subprojects included: 38 Beekeeping & honey processing, 13 Fish Farming,9 Agro-processing,9 Horticulture,5 Poultry, 2 Goat Rearing, 2 Pig rearing & processing, 1 Tree Nursery and 1 Avocado Production, 1 Briquette making and 1 ecotourism lodge.

The Project uses the support through grants as a means to reinforce behaviour change among the beneficiaries communities as subgrants provide a real opportunity to uplift their incomes and offer positive contribution to their livelihoods while improving the environment. Overall, the Project’s success is attributed to community participation, the creation of alternative livelihoods, and collaborative stakeholder partnerships through the promotion of integration of activities across the sectors.