Dear Friends ,

Welcome to our second wonderful Shengena forest walk. After a highly successful previous event, Mohispac Foundation, a charity organization based in Tanzania is kindly inviting you to our next Shengena Forest walk campaign which will be held on 26th May to 1st June 2015 at Same District in Kilimanjaro -Tanzania, Africa.

The Shengena forest is the second largest forest in northern part of Tanzania after Kilimanjaro forest mountain and among of the few natural reserves still remaining in Tanzania which is rich in numerous water springs, waterfalls, and flora and fauna which is only found within this forest. Furthermore, the forest supports the lives of more than 300,000 people. Our route of walk will start from Chome-Suji, Suji-Bwambo, Bwambo-Kirangare, Kirangare-Vugwama, Vugwama-Mpinji, Mpinji-Mamba (means crocodiles), Mamba-Lugulu, Lugulu-Mtii. Then at Mtii–Bombo on the 1st of June, we will celebrate environmental day with around 5,000 indigenious people, CSO’s, volunteers, activists, journalists, Government officers, Students, Companies, all working together to promote sustainable development of our forest.

The event intends to promote and spread awareness of the biodiversity available within the Shengena forest and the ways in which we can protect it, whilst at the same time promoting tourism attractions areas.

Pare cultures have committed to launching a compaaign to plant 1 million trees within the forest, and to also open student environmental clubs at schools, to teach students ways to protect and support the forest. The event will provide a platform for environmental stakeholders (walk participants/volunteers) and the local community to interact and promote awareness on the importance of protecting Shengena Forest, with the view of limiting the effects of drought and securing the endangered flora and fauna species in the forest.

Currently the forest is faced with a number of man-initiated threats. These includes forest fires, encroachment for agriculture, tree felling for wood fuel, over pastoralism within the forest, lumbering for building materials (logs, timbers) which suffocate indigenous species caused by gold mines activities taking place illegally within the forest, corruptions among the officers responsible . But now the forest, spring water, natural vegetation, species, wild animals are in danger of disappearance due to the deforestation and Gold mines activities taking place within the forest. Therefore, the event intends to address man-initiated threats with the view of making a contribution in forest management, environmental education, researches, advocacy, stopping mines activities, restoring natural vegetation within and around the forest to improve their livelihood. Moral and financial support is highly needed to enable this event to be successful. This is why we are calling upon all environmental good wishers to join hands with us in saving the entire forest, by either participating directly in our walk or enabling/sponsor others to participate.

Finally this campaign project needs your support to save the most adversely species which are in danger of dissappearance, poor farmers and pastoralists who live in the remotest areas, who are already grappling with droughts from the water supply in Shengena diminishing as a result of human interference. More than 300,000 people will continue to benefit from the forest if and only if we will get your social, economical, technical, legal and moral support. Therefore, these initiatives should be seen as progress along the route to fully sustainable partnerships between people and their government in the joint custodianship of forests that provide benefits at local and national levels.

The participants will be able to visit either Ngorongoro, Mikumi, Serengeti, Selous, Manyara national parks or Mount Kilimanjaro at a discounted rate once you register as a volunteer.

We need food for the 50 walkers, 20 Watering cans ,drinking water, 1000 t-shirts, 5000 flyers, 20 banners, 20 tents, 20 mattresses, 2 digital camera, 1 laptops, 1 Mil tree seeds, 120 rollers of polythene tubes, 20 hoes, 20 spades, 20 wire mesh, 20 rakes, 1000 caps, 20 wheel barrows,1000 bees boxes for low income women) and other technical supports.

Companies and sponsors who wish to support the event will be able to put their brand and logo to all activities, during the press conferences, and to other areas which can be discussed personally. Please, if you have any questions feel free to contact us via email.

Don’t delay your booking, and for the mere price of $100 enjoy meals, t-shirt and all application fees, whilst at the same time, feeling safe in the knowledge that you are working to directly support the preservation of the Shengena forest and most crucially, the lives of those who rely on the forest for their livelihood.

Last but not least we wish to give thanks for our last event supporters (World Agroforestry Centre - Nairobi, Santas Diagonist Co. Ltd, Ngerengere river, Media companies, Journalists, Bloggers, individual supporters and so many others. We have really appreciated your support in saving our heritage Shengena forest. (Please Google ICRAF visit Shengena forest) to see our last walk event report.

We believe that Together We Can Make the World a Better Place to Live. Any support will be gratefuly received, and please do not hesistate to contact us if you have any questions. Thanks and be blessed for choosing to be part and parcel of this campaign. Nziacharo Makenya, Executive Director, Mohispac Foundation, B0x 77624 - Dar - Tanzania. Call: +255716876742/758888193 Email: nziacharom@gmail.com, info@mohispacfoundationtz.or.tz

 Visit our official link  :   www.envaya.org/mof or www.mohispacfoundationtz.or.tz  http://www.mohispacfoundationtz.or.tz https://www.facebook.com/MohispacFoundation?ref=ts&fref=ts https://envaya.org/mof   and Follow us on Instagram @Mohispacfoundation.

   Donate via paypal at our campaign :http://gogetfunding.com/project/save-shengena-forest

Hi everyone, my name is Kerala Drew and I’m currently a third year law student. Whilst I normally study at Queen Mary University London, I am spending this year studying at the University of Hong Kong, in order to develop my understanding of international law; in particular, human rights law. I have been fortunate enough to travel frequently, and I have spent 2 months working and living in an orphanage in Kenya. It was at this point I decided to pursue the study of human rights. I am very excited to work with the MOHISPAC Foundation in the capacity of Volunteer and Fundraiser Co-Ordinator. I will be writing, and editing articles, and managing the social media sites.

   Dear Friends,

Welcome to our wonderful Shengena forest walk campaign. Mohispac Foundation family is kindly inviting you to our next Shengena Forest walk campaign, commencing on 25th January to 28th January 2015 around the beautiful highlands of Pare Mountains in Same District-Kilimanjaro-Tanzania Africa. Here, will be privileged to meet and and talk with different development groups about their activities (operating under Mohispac Foundation) and many more other social activities surrounded by the beauty of our Forest.

As an organization, we have managed to organize such campaigns (such as the ICRAF visit Shengena) with the core theme of synthesizing the spirit of preserving and protecting our forest and environment at large by emphasizing the alternative sources of income ie bees keeping, poultry keeping, livestock keeping etc. Our emphasis on the protection of this forest is basically on the use of biogas technology as well as solar energy technology.

The event intends to showcase the biodiversity available within the Shengena forest and the ways to protect it, whilst promoting tourism attraction areas at the same time.(peak of the mountain, sources of the streams, available species, etc), Pare cultures as an endorsement to conserve the forest by opening students environmental club’s at their schools, to develop/promote awareness on forest carbon and the way it will benefit them if they will conserve the forest. The event will provides a platform for environmental stakeholders and the local community to interact and promote awareness on the importance of protecting the Shengena Forest, with the long term view of limiting the effects of drought and securing the endangered flora and fauna species in the forest. Currently the forest is facing a number of man-initiated threats. These includes forest fires, encroachment for agriculture, tree felling for wood fuel, over pastoralism within the forest, lumbering for building materials (logs, timbers) which suffocate indigenous species caused by gold mines activities taking place illegally within the forest, and corruption among the officers responsible . This ultimately results in the spring water, natural vegetation, species, wild animals that live within the forest facing danger to disappearance due to the deforestation and Gold mines activities taking place within the forest.

Indigenous people, CSO’s, volunteers, activists, journalists, Government officers, Students, Companies and many other stakeholders are highly invited to join with us in promoting sustainable development of our forest. All friends are invited to join the trip at the affordable cost of 169 USD for three days which includes Meals (10 USD per day), Accommodation (13 USD per day) and Transportation (100 USD per trip) from Dar es Salaam to Same District. We need supporters like you to help us our work move forward.

For all well wishers of our organization who in one way or another cannot manage to join the tour they can support us by donating/supporting materials like polythene tubes, tree seeds and garden equipment. You can find out more about our Tour map at our websites: http://www.mohispacfoundationtz.or.tz https://www.facebook.com/MohispacFoundation?ref=ts&fref=ts https://envaya.org/mof and Follow us on Instagram @Mohispacfoundation. Please feel free to email us if you have further questions.

Kind regards,

Nziacharo Makenya Executive Director Mohispac Foundation +255716876742/758888193 Email;nziacharom@gmail.com

 

We are very glad to inform/introduce our new volunteer/fundraiser coordinator sister Kerala Drew from United Kingdom.She is responsible for volunteer programs,fundraising organizer on behalf of the Mohispac Foundation projects and connecting us with firms and international organizations in worldwide.Keep intouch with her to fulfills the missions to save.

Emily Benken from USA volunteer from Omprakash Foundation received gift from local women group during her visits to Same District in Kilimanjaro.They decided to give her and to ware her as a Tanzania woman (local group shows the loves and hospitality they have to their volunteers).We invite more volunteers from Omprakash and elsewhere to work  incooperation with with us to change lives of of our families in Tanzania.

Rev Makenya a Director of the Mohispac Foundation poses with volunteer Emily Benken from USA.

 

SHENGENA FOREST WALK REPORT 2013

The campaign was launched during shengena forest walks held  on 15th July 2013, where by Mohispac Foundation and  ICRAF team comprising of staff from Nairobi, Kisumu,Tanzania, and local environmental groups  around the forest.The event  took part in the Shengena walk that happened in Mamba Miamba, Northern Tanzania.The campaign aimed to planting 100000 trees through  their local environmental groups,student environmental club at their school surrounding and to the public areas and this  charity walk event was aimed at sensitizing locals against destroying the vast Shengena forest which supports the livelihoods of more than 300,000 people.
According to a report by the World Wide Fund (WWF), for the past 50 years, about half of the world’s original forest cover has been lost owing to the unsystematic exploitation of forest resources by human beings and Shengena forest is no exception.
Rev. Nziacharo Makenya, the executive director of MOHISPAC foundation and the organizer of the walk says the woodland which plays host to five major rivers, Mkomazi game reserve and several irrigation schemes risks being wiped out if stringent and swift conservation measures are not adopted.
The event provided a platform for environmental stakeholders and the local community to interact and promote awareness on the importance of protecting Shengena Forest, with a view to limit the effects of drought and securing the endangered flora and fauna species in the forest.
The woodland which boasts of being the largest forest block in the South Pare Mountains is also rich in biodiversity and a major water tower in the region. However, it faces numerous threats. These include: gold and bauxite mining activities, farmland encroachment, wild fires, illegal logging among other human activities. 
Rev. Makenya expressed optimism in the ongoing restoration activities and called on ICRAF and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate in the conservation initiatives by providing the groups with potting materials, knowledge on tree nursery establishment and forest management.We believe that together we can make the woeld a better place to live and we improve not only our lives but the lives of our next generation.We need support of 1000 $ to implement this campaign by establishing the nursery trees in this rain season of October,November and December while in  march and april 2014 will be the right season to planting trees by taking it from the nursery to the planting areas incooperation with communities.
During the walk dubbed “Save Shengena forest”, The ICRAF team had the opportunity of visiting several conservation groups before presenting a donation of T-Shirts to the Mamba Miamba community.Only your kindly support of 1000 dollar can cover the cost of seed and polythene tubes.

Thanks and be bless to be part of this campaign

Rev Makenya

Mohispac Foundation

Executive Director

 Email:mmohispacf@yahoo.com,

call +255716876742/758888193

 

 

 Further more visit us at:www.mohispacfoundationtz.or.tz

 www.envaya.org/mof,

 

 

 

NDUNGU WATER PROJECT

Water is one of the most powerful ways to improve  their health, hygiene, and well-being of any families need water to survive. Ndungu village is situated in the local government Ward of Ndungu Same District in Pangani Basin.The village is a part of Same District council.Its a traditional village of Pare people,although there are also other tribes like Sambaa,Maasai pastoralists and other so many tribes from within the country. Their economics activities depend on agriculture,livestock and trading but majority of them are small scale farmers and agro-pastoralists. This project of water will implemented at Ndungu village and other five villages nearby which is located eastern part of Tanzania but its bordered with Mkomazi game reserve which is about 500 kms from Dar-es-salaam the capital and trading centre city of Tanzania to improve health, sanitation,
hygiene, socio-economic and living condition among the beneficiaries local communities. .. At this moment, many communities throughout the areas are suffering needlessly because water is either scarce or polluted or may not exist at all.As a charity organization we believe that when clean, fresh water begins to flow in a community, a whole new life begins – free from the threat of food shortages and the myriad of health related problems associated with hunger.

Lack of safe water Simply put cause diseases among them like (typhoid, diarrheal diseases, amoebic dysentery, cholera, and other notoriously virulent diseases) especially during the rainfall seasons due to contaminated water. And for those who survive, without good health, there is little chance for a normal and productive life. Much of the reason is because in rural areas in Tanzania like Ndungu the only water source for people to wash with and drink from is often a badly polluted shallow rivers because both animals and humans use the same water at the river Yongoma. In those areas where there’s actually a stream or river, they’re often polluted as well, because animal and human wastes are emptied directly into it without proper treatment .Mohispac Foundation water’ projects have an immediate life-changing impact, particularly on women and children, who most often have the responsibility of collecting water for the family each day of their lives. Successfully projects utilize water and sanitation as a tool to create sustainable socioeconomic development in these poor rural communities.

Their challenges is our challenges too and we believe it is one of our responsibilities to give a voice to the rural poor of Same District and to say: “Yes, everyone deserves the right to safe water.”Every day, thousands of students head for class with no clean water. It simply can’t be found.Without access to water, education is almost impossible. Dirty water leads to a cycle of disease, missed school days, and high drop-out rates – especially for girls in the areas of the project.The project is going to benefit 30,000 extremely poverty people from six villages in Same District.The purpose of this  proposal is to help the poor families to get safe drinking water  through Construction of Water Pipe Line direct from Yongoma River which is located upward of the mountains at Ndungu village , Construction of Reservoir tank at Kampimbi areas of Ndungu and its distributions to other 5 villages. The availability of safe and clean water will controlled eruption diseases and the standard of living among them will be improved.

The project need your kindly support of $300,000 for the project of two years while people will donate their manpower to support the implementation of the project. Nothing changes a community like providing a source of clean water for use. Giving clean water to a poverty stricken community like in Ndungu is just like giving a blood transfusion to a dying man. Clean water and latrines gives people the opportunity and the dignity to lead healthy lives, pursue education, and fulfill their lives to the fullest. This leads to new potential, new hope for a better tomorrow and a new life.
We hope that by the end of the project the community around will have an access to clean and safe water to improve their health and their economic position.

Any assistance will be gratefully esteemed.

RevMakenya
MohispacFoundation
ExecutiveDirector
Email:mmohispacf@yahoo.com,
call+255716876742/758888193

NB:Contact us to view our fully proposal.


Further:more visit us at:www.mohispacfoundationtz.or.tz
www.envaya.org/mof,

 

 

Mohispac Foundation teams with the teams from World Agro Forest Centre posed together at same picture during shengena forest walks on 15th july 2013

Shengena  Forest Reserve is  the largest forest block in the South Pare mountains, it is situated between the North Pare mountains and the West Usambara mountains in north-eastern Tanzania. The southern Pare Mountains are situated in Kilimanjaro Region, about 150 kilometre south of Moshi district. The forest reserve covers an area of 14,213 hectares of various forest types and Montana grassland from an altitude of 1,250m to Shengena peak at an altitude of 2,462m.  The Shengena forest reserve, with numerous water springs, is home to animals, reptiles and bird species rare in other parts of the world and therefore its protection implied to the promotion of tourist activities in the area. Mt Shengena is covered by dense forests. They are the livelihood of the surrounding villages, home to rare animals and plant species and it surrounds Pare Mountains (Same District). Most importantly however, they provide water for the entire Same district – until now. The water is very clean and can be used for washing, cooking, drinking and many more other uses. On the ridge, the trees had to give way to bare red soil. Rivers originating from Shengena forest reserve include Yongoma, Saseni, Mhokevunta, Nakombo, Pangani and Hingilili draining water in Kalemawe Dam, and the lowland areas of Kihurio, Ndungu Irrigation schemes, Kisiwani, Gonja, Bendera  and Mkomazi for rice production as well as water supply in Same, Makanya and beyond that and more than 300000 people depend water from the forest for their lives.On top of the Shengena Mountains is the dense tropical forest with many rare trees, plants, different types of rare reptiles, birds and different kinds of wild animals. The forest offers an oasis of rest, beauty and fresh air. Visitors can easily walk a day through the forest without meeting anyone (Tourists activities). The surrounding villages are among of the most isolated places in Northern Tanzania and the local people have kept their traditional (Pare culture) throughout their history. Narrow footpaths wind through the mountains from one village to another which attract rains in the forest and the villages around. Africa's most biodiverse nation, Tanzania as well, has added a few more species to its dockets. Researchers have discovered three new amphibians in the always surprising Eastern Arc Mountains (Shengena forest), a region which has supplied a number of new species recently( Callulina laphami, Callulina shengena, and Callulina stanleyi)were discovered by an international group of scientists, including Tanzanian scientists. The remaining habitats are threatened by forest clearing due to agriculture, forest fire, gold mining activities and illegal timber/logging. Although the forest benefit people around is as follows vegetable foods (leaves, tubers, fruit);honey, termites and wild meat, wood for building, fuel and income generation through tourism, place of worship; gums, resins and fibers, herbs and medicines, grass for thatching hut, pasture for livestock, Agricultural activities, water for domestic uses and so many other uses.

Currently the forest is faced with a number of man-initiated threats.  These includes forest fires, encroachment for agriculture, tree felling for wood fuel, building materials(logs, timbers) which suffocate indigenous species caused by Gold mines activities taking place illegally within the forest. But now the forest, spring water, natural vegetation, species, wild animals are in danger to disappear due to the deforestation and Gold mines activities taking place within the forest. But all these wealth of the National are endanger to disappear due to man threats caused by forest mining activities, Forest fires, illegal trees harvesting and so many other factors which has caused miserable and disappearing of rare species in the forest as follows

Bauxite mining in Mount Shengena :The forests are disappearing under spoil heaps, this has caused humankind and nature suffers due to the greed for raw materials of others. It not only destroys this unique ecosystem, but also the source of water for the entire Same district. The villagers around the forest has already complaining of not having enough water to keep their fields fertile. Agriculture would be almost impossible and particularly the rural population will then be deprived of its basic food. Moreover, the mining also damages the ecosystem of the adjacent Shengena Forest Reserve, which was originally intended to protect the forest precisely against these influences. Communities living along the Bauxite mining  has blamed the escalating environmental degradation for that the endemic drought that is threatening food production in the area. It is just contributing to environmental degradation in the area.
Large trucks transport the red raw material (soil) for aluminum into the valley. The raw material is being brought to the neighboring Kenya and from there, is shipped to Asia.

The entire region is threatened to dry up if there is no more water flowing from the catchment areas and agriculture would then be impossible, Even now, farmers in Ndungu,Kihurio,Bendera,Mkomazi,Bwambo,Chome,Gonja,Mpinji,Mamba e.tc villages are complaining of increasingly poor harvests due to the fact that their rivers has dry up. Their livelihood is threatened by the exploitation. Some of them formed a protest group, but without any help, they are powerless against other side that pays a lot of bribe for silence to minimize their protesting.

Gold mining taking place within the forest and within the catchments areas which has result water to dry up in the main rivers.The people worry about the drought as the mining is not friendly to forests and destroys sources of water. We have started experiencing water shortage in this area compared to the past. A survey we carried out during the Shengena Forest Walks on 15^th july 2013 incooperation with World Agro Forest Centre from Nairobi,Kisumu,Dar-es-salaam and other Environmental stakeholders from Tanzania in the area recently showed that the on-going mining has negative impacts to the indigenous people in the area. The event provided a platform for environmental stakeholders and the local community to interact and promote awareness on the importance of protecting Shengena Forest, with a view to limit the effects of drought and securing the endangered flora and fauna species in the forest. During the event Rev. Makenya expressed optimism in the ongoing restoration activities and called on ICRAF and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate in the conservation initiatives by providing the groups with potting materials, knowledge on tree nursery establishment and forest management. The event took part in the Shengena walk that happened in Mamba Miamba, Northern Tanzania.The campaign aimed to plants 1 million trees in the year 2013-2014 incooperation with our local environmental groups,students environmental club at their school surrounding and to the public areas, the charity walk event was aimed at sensitizing locals against destroying the vast Shengena forest which supports the livelihoods of more than 300,000 people.
We have been experiencing water shortage in this area as the mining process disturbs water sources. Even crop production has gone down, the situation that makes us to suspect these mining activities here as the major cause of water dry up, because the rains are not enough compared to the preciously years.

The water from natural springs and rivers originating from the forest used to be sparkling clear but today it looks brownish and dirty, indicating possible case of poisoned water. Gold mining that involved up-rooting of huge trees as miners believed that gold was attached to the roots, would cause quick disappearance of the water springs and health complication due to chemicals applied. The vegetation starts to change color. Trees found along the river banks as contaminated water flows down the stream dry quickly, indicating that the chemicals found in water were harmful to living organisms. We admitted that indeed mining activities put at risk people's lives as miners targeted water sources.

"The miners have been falling trees at an alarming rate and we fear that the forest cover may soon be depleted and this will be disastrous not only to Same district, but also the entire nation because Pangani River basins which is the source of Hydro electric power at Hale Nation station also depend on water flowing from Shengena forest reserves.

 Other challenges includes Including encroachment for agricultural land, overcutting of trees for building,illegal timbers,logs ,charcoal,fencing, overgrazing, uncontrolled bush fires, lack of funds to support them seeds and polythene tubes,cutting of trees to harvest honey, overuse leading to loss of water sources in the forest.Animals around Mkomazi National Reserve are endangering due to the fact that they depends water from Shengena forest for their survival too through Kalemawe Dam which has been drying up due to forest obliteration. Mkomazi game reserve and several irrigation schemes risks being wiped out if stringent and swift conservation measures are not adopted.
According to a report by the World Wide Fund (WWF), for the past 50 years, about half of the world’s original forest cover has been lost owing to the unsystematic exploitation of forest resources by human beings and Shengena forest is no exception.We needs your kindly aids to save most adversely species which are in danger to disappear, poor farmers and pastoralist at the remoteness areas who are already grappling with water which are now dry up due to the human threats in the forest, rivers and sources of water from the peak of Shengena forest. More than 300,000 people will continue to benefit from the forest if and only if we will get your social, economical, technical, legal and moral supports. Therefore, our project intends to address man-initiated threats with the view to making a contribution in forest management, environmental education, research, advocacy, stopping mines activities, restoring natural vegetation within and  around the forest to improve their livelihood. These initiatives should be seen as experiments along the route to fully sustainable partnerships between people and their government in the joint custodianship of forests that provide benefits at local and national levels - including biodiversity conservation.Be apart of the campaign to fulfills our target to plant 1 million trees around the area in the year 2013-2014