The main objective has been to ensure that natural forests and woodlands in East Africa are sustainably managed and conserved with increased benefits to the poor in forest dependant communities. This is the goal to which EMPAFORM efforts are contributing – the issue that returns to communities can be enhanced while forests are conserved! Specifically, the project was to ensure that, Empowered civil society organisations have promoted a pro-poor approach to PFM that is more demand-driven and more equitable in addressing the interests and rights of the poor, and national networks established that will institutionalise this approach. The programme was adressing issues of advocacy, organisational strengthening as well as governance.

Overall Objectives

Natural forests and woodlands in East Africa are sustainably managed and conserved with increased benefits to the poor in forest dependant communities. This is the goal to which EMPAFORM efforts are contributing – the issue that returns to communities can be enhanced while forests are conserved! Specific objective: Empowered civil society organisations have promoted a pro-poor approach to PFM that is more demand-driven and more equitable in addressing the interests and rights of the poor, and national networks established that will institutionalise this approach.

(Now National Networks do exist in the three Countries: NACOFA in Kenya, UNETCOFA in Uganda and MJUMITA in Tanzania). EMPAFORM is targeting second level CBOs as the entry point for building civil society capacity. Seven themes are being targeted to deliver this capacity building within the programme four years: The following is a break down of the main themes engulfed with progressive results already:

1. Access to information – Provide the needed information to communities
2. Local/ National networking – Effective exchange of the information
3. Advocacy and Legal literacy – Communities to better understand: Land Policy, Forest Policy, PRSP processes, able to demand what is due to them. (Via workshops, articles, policy briefs, newsletters)
4. Organisational Strengthening – Governance, management, negotiation capacity, fundraising, and Networking skills strengthened in targeted second level CBOs.
5. Direct technical assistance – to respond to demands by communities to undertake PFM.
6. Regional networking – Regional meetings on emerging issues and case studies for PFM in the region.
7. Learning and Dissemination – Documentation and sharing with the wider public; learning from our own experience

Themes 1-5 are implemented at the National level and themes 6 and 7 are at the regional level.

EMPAFORM is a partnership programme that is being implemented as a joint venture of national and international NGOs, operational in 3 countries: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The partners include – FAN, KEFRI and CARE Kenya in Kenya, TFCG and CARE Tanzania in Tanzania, and BUCODO, ACODE and CARE Uganda in Uganda. The programme is funded through the EU Tropical Forest Budget Line. This 4-yr programme implementation started in April 2005 and ends in March 2009.

This civil society strengthening process is intended to promote a pro-poor approach to the management and conservation of natural forests in E. Africa. By strengthening and empowering CBOs involved in Collaborative Forest Management, EMPAFORM hopes to make the implementation of new forest policies in the three countries more demand driven, and more equitable in addressing the interests and rights of poor men, women and children.