A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2016 - 2020

            EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Chama cha Mazingira na Maendeleo kwa Umma Tanzania (CMMUT) is a registered, non-governmental organization that has been formed to address issues of increasing effects of climate change caused by human activities on the earth.

In most developing countries, these activities are done due to poverty looming among families and as such they seek to use forests as their only source of livelihood. The activities range from lumbering to charcoal burning, and they do this in the pretext of getting out of poverty; the result of which turns to be a vicious cycle of poverty.

Women on the other hand have been the course of forest destruction in the way in which they collect firewood thereby resulting into deforestation.

The organization watching this activities as from its inception in 1999; has sort for several ways in which these types of activities could be halted.

Through community meetings with communities along Uluguru Mountains (Part of the famous Eastern Arc mountains), issues of poverty have always been surfacing and remedy have in all meetings been sort of.

Capacity building to ensure that people have proper knowledge on the importance of conserving environment has been well addressed in this Strategic Plan.

On the other hand since poverty has been the cause of forest destruction; the Strategic Plan has addressed it in a way that environmental groups which have been formed in each of the adjacent villages along Mount Uluguru will be empowered to own environmental friendly income generating activities while trying hard to cover open areas by planting trees. While doing all these; communities will be encouraged and empowered in the use of Renewable energy.

The groups will act as TOTs in the communities so that people will no more see forests as their only source of livelihood.

The strategies are meant to improve immensely the living standards of the people along Uluguru Mountains and elsewhere.

To accomplish this; the organization will need a total USD 1,8129,319 for five years (2016 – 2020); of which over 75% will be used in ensuring the implementation of the activities.

It is our hope that upon going through the plan and putting appropriate weight on issues of climate change and the calamities that can occur; interested partners will join hand with CMMUT to change the trend of forest destruction.

2.0        INTRODUCTION

2.1     Need for Strategic Plan:

Perpetuating poverty looming among people needs instantaneous efforts that will at the end conform to the Sustainable Developing Goals (SDGs).

It is for this reason that Chama cha Mazingira na Maendeleo kwa Umma Tanzania (CMMUT) sort to have a Strategic Plan that will address issues of Environmental Conservation which has for a longtime resulted into climate change due to human activities in the forests and hence calamities causing poverty. At the same time the Strategic Plan will provide a five years direction in view of eradicating poverty.

What we are saying is that there should be a Strategic Plan in the organization to ensure that there are activities to be implemented each year for a period of five years in view of conserving environment as well as initiating environmental friendly income generating activities that will tantamount to poverty eradication systematically. It was therefore important to have a plan that will quench our vision.

This Strategic Plan is a result of a weeks’ brainstorming done by a team of personnel including CMMUT Office bearers, few village representatives and other NGOs whom we are collaborating with.

Following the existence of the first five year Strategic Plan (2011 - 2015) that had a success in building the foundation in ensuring that people understand the importance of conserving the environment, the team saw to it that it is high time now that we initiated some environmental friendly income generating activities that will at the end halt the encroachment of the forest by the inhabitants around.

2.2.      The environmental scan:

(a)        Organization history and structure:

CMMUT, an acronym for Chama cha Mazingira na Maendeleo kwa Umma Tanzania; is a registered non-Governmental organization that was started and registered in 1999 and got its compliance from the Vice President’s office by June, 2005.

Our offices are located in one Saadalah building floor No. 1 Room No. 6, along old Dar es Salaam road, opposite National Insurance building and just adjacent to the Lotto’s Tower in the Morogoro Municipality.

The organization was formed primarily to address issues of deteriorating forests, which has destroyed the biodiversity as well as environment and health hazards caused by dirty environment which requires comprehensive and coordinated efforts including participatory action for the same. Having seeing the problem of forest destruction, the organization organized a number of community meetings that resulted to formation of environmental groups which automatically became members of the organization.

                                     ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

                                                           BOARD

                                                     CHAIRPERSON

TREASURER/                          PROGRAM                SECRETARY

ACCOUNTS                              OFFICER                     

                                                   VOLUNTEERS

                                   C O M M U N I T Y / G R O U P S

(b)        External Environment

                    National and Local Situation:

As years pass by; global warming caused by vast environmental degradation has resulted into a number of social-economic negative impacts. Agricultural production which in most developing countries depends entirely on weather; has been decimated to a great extent. Rivers and streams that were seen before have dried up.

Tanzania being the Chairperson of Agenda 21 on environmental conservation has the responsibility of sensitizing her people to have a Keen Concern on issues of environment conservation in line with other countries, the world over.

Inhabitants living along the Eastern Arc Mountain are relatively poor and as such they depend entirely on the mountain products in illegal ways for their livelihood.

Lack or absence of knowledge on the above factors has always provided a chance in the destruction and pollution of our environment which will in the end result into vicious circle of poverty.

In general; degradation that destroys biodiversity has always been a cause of poverty.

(c)    Summary of Opportunities and Threats:

Some of the external forces that will give rise to the development of the organization are:

1)   Opportunities:

• Both communities and stakeholders do recognize CMMUT
• With more determination, CMMUT can attract more donors
• Communities are ready for facilitation and nurturing by CMMUT

2)   Threats:

As this is an area that could cripple the organization beyond repair, it was advised that CMMUT leadership address this area with keen.

• None availability of proper, specific and reliable donor could cripple the organization’s activities and initiatives.
• Inadequate knowledge of rights and obligation on environmental conservation and cleanliness by some stakeholders.

3.0.      THE ORGANIZATION:

(a)Scope of activities:

CMMUT activities depend on its mission and vision that range from environmental conservation and strategic activities that aims at bringing development to communities and hence eradicating poverty and conform to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

(b)Program Operating Model:

All activities (programs) implemented by CMMUT are carried out through participatory movement. Meetings are conducted by communities where they raise up problems they are facing and come out with common solutions to the problems raised.

(c)      Management and Governance:

CMMUT has qualified and experienced management team. Management team ranges from Planning, Management and Accounts. On top there is a coordinator who is also a chairperson of the organization. The coordinator is assisted by a secretary, programs officers and treasurer/account. In a nutshell, day to day activities are performed by a qualified and experienced management team.

(d)     Summary of Strengths and Weaknesses:

Strengths:

• CMMUT is well recognized by most stakeholders particularly the villagers who have benefited through activities organized by CMMUT. These include the local administration.

• CMMUT has a well simple and organized structure to implement its activities at
• levels.

• The presence of Networking with similar NGOs has given CMMUT the necessary linkage both internally and externally.

• Cooperation accorded by the villagers provides an avenue for programs implementation.

Weakness:

• CMMUT has since its inception been renting premises for office and other activities.

• CMMUT has no reliable financial source provider or Donor

4.0.      VISION, MISSION AND VALUES:

1. VISION

We envisage increased living standards and good health for everyone.

1. MISSION

To improve people’s threshold and health through environmental conservation and cleanliness.

1. VALUES

The organization has several values that are to be adhered by every member:

• Spirit of voluntarism
• Must be an environmentalist

5.0.      GOALS, PLANNED ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND STRATEGIES

Inherent problems of forest destruction associated with people’s attitude keeping attention to the forests as the only source of their livelihood need to be addressed properly lest vicious cycle of poverty circum the inhabitants.

The overall goal of the organization is to reverse the existing situation whereby people have no or very little idea of the consequences that will befall them and the Nation at large.

5.1.      Objectives:

The objectives of the organization concerning this issue this time is a function of the last strategic plan that has broken the bonds that overwhelmed the inhabitants of the people concerning environmental conservation.

The objectives in this plan will be:

• Improving livelihood of people by providing them with environmental friendly income generating activities.
• Providing alternative sources of energy to inhabitants along slopes of mountains.
• Planting trees to cover open spaces/caps of mountain slopes.

It is assumed that the set objectives will be achieved only upon building peoples’ capacity and creating their awareness in view of conserving the biodiversity in order to achieve sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

5.2.      Activities:

The related activities that need to be carried so as to achieve the set objectives will be:-

• To continue building capacities of inhabitants in view of understanding the importance of conserving the forests and hence biodiversity.
• To empower people particularly along the slopes of the Eastern Arc Mountains to own source environmental friendly income generating activities that will be able to eradicate poverty among families.
• Continue in the establishment of tree and fruit Nurseries that will provide enough seedlings to cover all open spaces and eroded areas.

6.0.      PLANS FOR THE YEAR 2016 - 2020

Implementation of this Strategic Plan has an assumption that Leaders of the organization and all stake holders will own it and work as a team so that the plan can realize the set objectives and open an avenue to approaches that can address key drivers of deforestation and biodiversity destruction. It is also assumed that more financial and human resources will be required to realize expectations.

Following are plans for the next five years (2016 - 2020):

(a)  Continue in building capacities of people to understand the importance of environmental conservation.

(b) Intensify establishment of tree and fruit nurseries. This time emphasize will be using schools within the area so as to inculcate the whole notion of environmental conservation to school children.

(c)  Empowering communities to own environmental friendly income generating

activities.

(d) Empowering communities in the rural setting in the use of Renewable energy

(e)  Dissemination of proper knowledge about malaria prevention through workshops and establishment of cleanliness group.

(f)   Putting more weight in acquiring of our own premises/building to avoid an ever increasing rental costs.

(g) Try hard to get a reasonable but appropriate form of transport to ease the workload of the organization.

(h) Strengthen the organization with necessary missing equipments.

(i)   Intensity on building organization capacity to handle new and sophiscated issues concerning environment conservation

7.0.      WORK PLAN

8.0.       MONITORING AND EVALUATION:

CMMUT has decided to adopt a participatory approach for monitoring and evaluation of activities and projects. This approach involves the entire staff; communities and stakeholders.

          8.1     Monitoring:

CMMUT staff and management will be tracking performance of the planned activities. The Programs Manager will then prepare report to be submitted to donors, stakeholders and Leadership. Annual reports - both Narrative and Financial will be prepared and documented properly. On monthly basis, staff will be holding staff meetings to discuss development of programs; and rectify where necessary.

          8.2     Evaluation:

CMMUT has adopted a two level evaluation approach; internal and external evaluation.

Internal evaluation will be carried out by CMMUT staff, communities and stakeholders (self-evaluation). This evaluation will be done annually and reports will be documented. Donor representatives will carry an external evaluation.