2007 October 16 | The Okapi Reserve

WORKSHOP WITH TRADITIONAL CHIEFS IN MAMBASA, D.R.Congo

Category: Community Work, General | Date: Oct 16 2007 | By: admin

I am obliged to let you know about the workshop organized in Mambasa by the management of the Okapi wildlife Reserve (OWR) from 10th to 11th of October 2007. 7 traditional chiefs with their respective population representative, the Administration service of Mambasa territory, and the Reserve staff attended the workshop. The discussion was on “what mechanisms of dialogue/ concertation between local population and the Reserve managers?”

As listed on the world heritage site of UNESCO, the reserve has benefiting the Emergency funds which allows the management for the organization. We noticed the presence of the technical director of ICCN (Congolese Institute for nature conservation) Mr. Benoit KISUKI from

Kinshasa

who presented on “ICCN mission and implication of the local community in protected areas “, and played key role during discussion.

Adt Benoit Kisuki( in white shirt ) surrounding with the Reserve Officers in Epulu

Mr. Mapilanga, senior warden of the reserve also intervene on the subject:”Creation of the Reserve, natures of problems and local community preoccupation ” , and Mr. Ntumba , assistant of community Conservation programme in the Reserve discussed on ” The CPCL’s Programme “set up in the reserve on the year 1994- 1996. It was planned that one of the local chief should pass and talk in the name of his colleagues how was their appreciation on the CPCLs structure in terms of communication between population and the reserve, and he does not delay to illustrate some gaps from members who wanted to be transformed as rangers,….

Walese Karo chief talking

It is a pleasure to inform you that this Chief was among the 2006 laureates of Abraham price in DRCongo because of his leadership in defending conservation, and his positive attitude towards conservation of the reserve.

Mr. Mapilanga ( in blue shirt )during his expose

Groupphoto with all participants

At all, it was fine since the local chiefs had time to confirm their support to the wildlife of the reserve, and showed clearly their desire to become patterns of the conservation of the reserve. Some responsibilities were been defined during the workshop and I mean things will be interesting in future if one of the participants as stakeholder keep in mind the importance of the reserve and apply the new concept gained from the workshop.

Somba

Technorati : epulu, okapi, okapi. wildlifedirect