YONECO took part in a European Union-funded Results Oriented Monitoring of Building Climate Resilient Communities Around Wildlife Protected Areas Project. The team monitored project activities in communities surrounding Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve and Lengwe National Park in Nsanje and Chikwawa districts respectively.
The aim of the visit was to track progress of activities that the implementing partners are carrying out in the two districts. In Mwabvi and Kamberengende, the focus of the monitoring activity was on was two Radio Listening Clubs (RLCs) that were established by YONECO as one way of empowering local communities to have a platform for discussing issues pertaining to the environment; and how they can actively participate in the protection of natural resources.
The RLCs, which are mostly composed of out-of-school youth, are able to articulate community issues affecting the environment and are equipped with skills to record their own programmes in their respective communities which are then aired on YONECO FM. So far, the RLCs have managed to record four radio programmes, of which three have been aired.
Through dialogue, the clubs have also managed to engage community actors including chiefs, National Park officials, government extension workers and Village Development Committees (VDCs).
The on-going Results Oriented Monitoring visit has been commissioned by EU, through Trocaire in Malawi and is expected to end with Kasungu where various interventions under the project are also going to be appreciated.
