1. About the NGO

The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) was founded in 1961 to improve the capacity of African institutions and individuals to manage wildlife and other natural resources. This international non-governmental organization (NGO) is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. AWF works in nine priority landscapes, also known as Heartlands across part of 14 countries in central, eastern, southern, and West Africa. AWF was registered in Zambia by the Register of Societies in May 2001 and has been operating actively since under a Country Agreement with the Government of the Republic of Zambia.

AWF?s mission is to ?work with the people of Africa to ensure the wildlife and wild lands of Africa endure forever.? In delivering this mission, AWF?s core value is ?African-led conservation? and as such 80% of its staff is African. AWF has an international Board of Trustees, including two former African Presidents (President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania, and President Ketumile Masire of Botswana). AWF believes in ?wildlife advancing Africa? - Africa?s wildlife and natural resources should be conserved not only for their own sake, but as one of the principal resources to catalyze economic growth and improve human wellbeing, through empowering rural communities (capacity building/education, incl. women and youth) and help brokering fair and sustainable enterprises in partnership with the private sector.

AWF?s integrated landscape-level conservation programme, also known as the AWF African Heartlands Programme, was established nine years ago. This innovative, science-based, integrated landscape-level approach to conservation addresses the need to link conservation and sound natural resource management practices directly with sustainable local livelihoods. Such an approach helps to address the main problems and challenges facing sustainable development in Africa, which include poverty, weak governance, limited rights and tenure for local communities, human-wildlife conflict, and loss of habitat, primarily because of the conversion of virgin land into agricultural land. These challenges are compounded by poor land use planning, climate change and the fact that the majority of the farmers use inappropriate technologies in marginal areas, which results in land degradation. In addition farmers and rural communities have limited skills and capacity to develop business plans, manage enterprises and limited access to funding.

2. Project?s main objective

2.1 To conserve biodiversity of fish fauna and related natural resources in the Sesheke District stretch of the Upper Zambezi River through an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries.

3. Specific Objectives

2.1 To demonstrate viability and feasibility of two alternative livelihood strategies.
2.2 To increase household-level participation through hands-on development and demonstration of alternative livelihood activities directly affecting 30 households in Mwandi Village and indirectly through farmer to farmer training.
2.3 To strengthen capacity within fishing households to ensure integrated management of fresh water and terrestrial natural resources
2.4 To improve livelihoods of the affected households by securing diversified sources of food and income through sustainable natural resource production and marketing;
2.5 To engage other households to prepare for expanding the approach beyond the timeframe of this project


4. Key project outcomes

4.1 Demonstrated viability and feasibility of 2 alternative livelihood strategies.
4.2 Increased household-level participation through hands-on development and demonstration of alternative livelihood activities directly affecting 30 households in Mwandi Village and indirectly through further farmer to farmer training.
4.3 Strengthened capacity within fishing households to ensure integrated management of fresh water and terrestrial natural resources.
4.4 Improved livelihoods of the affected households by securing diversified sources of food and income through sustainable natural resource production and marketing.
4.5 Engaged other households to set the stage for expanding the approach beyond this project timeframe