This presentation is about a development project in Uganda, "Integrated Biodiversity Conservation, Health and Community Development around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park" Presentation by Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, GDN Award for the Most Innovative Development Project GDN 14th Annual Conference Manila, Philippines June 19-21, 2013

1. Integrated Biodiversity Conservation, Health
and Community Development around Bwindi
Impenetrable National Park, SW Uganda
Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka,
Ashoka Fellow
Founder, Conservation Through Public Health
Japan MIDP Award Presentation
19th June 2013

2. Presentation Outline
• Problem
• Solution
• Replication
• Need for support

3. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

4. Problem

6. The Innovation
• Ashoka Fellowship for leading social
entrepreneurs in 2007
• Merging Uganda’s wildlife management and
rural public health programs to create
common resources for both people and
animals

7. Conservation Through Public Health
Mission
• Promotes biodiversity conservation by enabling
people, wildlife and livestock to coexist through
improving their health and livelihoods in and
around Africa’s protected areas
Vision
• People, wildlife and livestock living in balance
health and harmony with local communities
acting as stewards of their environment.

8. The Solution
Three integrated
programs:
• Wildlife
Conservation
• Community Health
• Sustainable
Livelihoods

9. Wildlife Health

10. Water Conservation/Hygiene and
Sanitation

11. Village Health and Conservation Teams
• Recognized Ministry of
Health (MOH) structure
• Monthly Data collection
for MOH and UWA
• Hygiene and sanitation
• Family planning
• Disease identification and
referrals(TB, scabies,
HIV/AIDS, diarrhea)
• Nutrition
• Conservation education

12. Achievements – Public Health
• 12 fold increase in modern family planning
new users within four years
• improved hygiene and sanitation indicators
(increase in hand washing facilities, clean
water storage and drinking containers)
• 11 fold increase in TB suspect patients
identified

13. Achievements - Conservation
• Improved conservation attitudes and practices
- agriculture (soil and water conservation)
- reduced poaching
- greater protection for gorillas on community
land.
• Reduced incidences of wildlife disease

14. Sustainability
• How to continue VHCTs
- Village Health (and
Conservation) Teams
beyond donor funding?
• Supporting VHCTs with
income generating
projects and Village
Saving and Loan
Associations (VSLAs)

15. Innovation - Sustainability of VHCTs
in Kanungu District, Bwindi
• Bicycles (adopted by
MOH)
• Cupboards (for
CBDEPO providers)
• Livestock
• VSLAs

16. VHCT income generating projects

17. Sustainability of VHCTs - VSLAs
• Two Village Savings and
Loans Associations in 2
parishes
• 25 members (15 VHCTs
and 10 others)
• $0.4 to $2 contribution
per weekly sitting
• 10% Interest rate over 3
months lending period
• Promote group cohesion
and a unified local
support system

18. Sustainability of VHCTs - VSLAs
• School fees, family
emergency; business
• 100% paying back rate
• No volunteer drop outs
in 6 years
• Welfare fund for
meetings with CTPH
• VSLAs successful because
of no external funding
and common goal
(VHCTs)

19. A Sustainable and Scalable Model
• VHCTs or VHTs or CBDs
• Income generating
projects
(livestock, honey etc.)
• VSLAs
• Link to MOH, UWA
• Lasting social and
environmental impact

20. VHCT model replicated, but a
challenge for MOH to sustain
• Kisoro District with high
human and gorilla conflict
• Queen Elizabeth National
Park (savannah)
• Virunga National Park
(DRC)
• Lake Victoria Basin (Kenya
and Uganda) with CTPH
playing an advocacy role.

21. Locations planned for replication
around protected areas
• Similarities
• high human population
densities;
• park encroachment;
• human and wildlife
conflict
• Limited access to social
services
• Poverty
• Water scarcity
• Differences
• Ecosystems
(savannah, freshwater,
mountain)
• History of protected
area formation
• Conservation threats
• Culture
• Diversity of ethnic
groups
• Mount Elgon

22. Replication in all districts by MOH
Sustaining VHTs – so far
• Policy change - CBDEPO
• Bicycles
The Future
• Livestock or other
income generating
projects with VSLAs

23. Budget to establish VHCT income generating
project and VSLA in one location
Item Amount (USD)
Personnel 9,384
Travel 2,640
Meetings and Trainings 8,400
Supplies (livestock) 2,676
Other costs 2,400
Indirect Costs 4,500
Total Project costs 30,000

24. Conclusion
• By integrating conservation, public health and
microfinance, through supporting Village Health
and Conservation Teams with Village Saving and
Loan Associations, we have developed a
sustainable and scalable model for
uninterrupted provision of community based
social services, meeting the health and livelihoods
needs of both people and animals.

25. Thank you – Japan GDN
www.ctph.org
gladys@ctph.org