Promotion of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists awareness on land right in Kilindi District – 2009/10
Studies show that since 2000 conflict between pastoralists and other land users such as farmers, the government and investors has increased significantly in Kilindi District along with the rest of the country. Increasingly other users are taking over land traditionally used by pastoralists for grazing their livestock. The pastoralists are deeply unhappy with the situation because their livelihood is under threat hence conflicts develop between them and other land users.
With support provided for by Care International under their pastoralist basket fund programme (PBFP) we initiated a project to increase peace and harmony between pastoralists and other land users in nine villages in Kilindi District. The main aim was to raise awareness about the Village Land Rights Act No. 5 of 1999 among all land users as a way to minimize the land related conflicts.
We achieved this through facilitating workshops with local government leaders, pastoralists and other land users and by using public village meetings to talk to the local community.
What we accomplished in the project
- Decreased number of land related cases reported to police stations and tribunals
- Increased peace and harmony among pastoralists and other land users
- Increased awareness about land right act No. 5 of 1999 among village and ward leaders, pastoralists and farmers especially in village land use planning and management
- Increased access to grazing land for pastoralists through common land ownership and the establishment of closed animal routes to and from pasture land and water sources
- Improved collaboration between pastoralists and others
Through the support of our donor partners “pastoralist basket fund programme” under Care International in Tanzania, we are extending the project to a wider area in Kilindi District. We will take the program to an additional nine villages by March 2011.
However the land rights issue in the country between pastoralists, the government, investors and other local users remains extremely tense and pastorlists are in increasing danger of losing their rights to traditional lands. More support is needed to help us to tackle this issue at different levels and across a wider area.
