Current Projects and Programmes at JOOF

GOT RAMOGI/ RAMOGI HILL

Introduction
Kenya is committed to ensuring sustainable management of her forests to create wealth for her people and to promote socio-cultural and environmental services. But currently the country is experiencing difficulties to effectively manage her renewable natural resources in the face of rising challenges and demands, at a time when classical forest management is greatly weakened through under funding and the consequences of the strategic adjustment programme. At the same time, past failure of classical forest management to include communities from resource management and benefits from forests has resulted in unabated rate of forest degradation.

Low forest cover areas in Western Kenya such as the Lake Victoria corridor landscape, have suffered the most. The only isolated forests that occur on hilltops such as Got Ramogi, Got Abiero, Nanga (in Siaya district), Funyula Hills (in Busia district) and Gwassi and Homa Hills (in south Nyanza) are experiencing momentous land use pressures. These forests were reserved as county council forests in 1960s and assigned to the forest service for day-to-day management. But in the absence of gazettement, these forests are currently experiencing encroachment and growing use abuse. Moreover, the small patches of island forest of unproductive woodland left on these hilltops are unlikely to meet the land required by resident population for agriculture and the growing demand for wood and non-wood forest products (NWFPs). The proposed intervention will therefore promote sustainable management of the forest and further incorporate forest based micro-enterprises to enhance community benefits from the forest base.

The Got Ramogi Sacred Forest

Got Ramogi forest holds a number of sites of significance to the Kenyan Luo community, with great potential for conservation to benefit ecotourism. The forest is believed to be the place where the patriarch of the Luos, Baba Ramogi Ajuang, had established the first fortified settlement, gunda bur, when he led a branch of migrating Luos from North-eastern Uganda during the 15th century. Other batches of migrating Luo emigrants (Joka Jok, Joka Owiny and Joka Omollo), later regrouped on Got Ramogi, before dispersing outward in Kenya and Tanzania.

The forest is covered by dry savannah woodland endowed with a unique complement of biodiversity rich thickets dominated by Albizia spp., Balanites aegyptiaca, Tamarindus indica, Acacia spp. and different Euphorbia spp., Brachylaena huillensis, Chlorophora excelsa, Maerua spp., Carpolobia goetzei and Eugenia capensis. Ecologically, Got Ramogi forests is a kin to the eastern outliers of the Guinea Congolian block, but unlike other Lake Victoria basin forest fragments, e.g. Kakamega and Nandi Hills forests, it is mostly characterized by lowland dry forest containing opportunistic and generalistic plant and animal species, which are probably forest remnants of an once extensive floral and faunal diversity.

Rapid assessment of Got Ramogi's biological resources carried out in July 1993 and June 1994 recorded a total of 12 mammalian species, four reptilian species, three amphibian species and 64 bird species (AAS, 1996). An additional 22 orders of invertebrates and over 100 species of plants were also recorded. This unique forest holds immense opportunities for a deeper understanding the plant geography of East Africa's fora.

Available information show that Got Ramogi forest was managed sustainably for many years by the council of elders and supports a number of sacred sites (Table 1). The forest was handed over by the county council to government for productive management in the 1960s as a state forest. Forest development initiatives were subsequently opened in the area from this time, but these have since run down with the national decline in forest development and failure in legislation, socio-economic weaknesses and related policy failures. The forest has not been gazetted despite past attempts to do so, and currently stands as a community forest.

Table 1: A list of sacred sites in Got Ramogi Forest with potential for reconstruction to support ecotourism.

Site Associated Objects Mhure (mvule tree with a double stem) Mvule tree Asumbi (large pot) Rock/snake Agulu (small pot) Rock Rapogi (sharpening stone) Stone/thunder Pong (grinding stone) Stone Adodi Stone Muchia Stone Murwa Stone Rianda Forest grove/snake Nyamamba Forest grove/snake

Got Ramogi's Community-Based Forest Institution

Over the last two decades forest management has shifted from state driven timber and user-based focus to management for multiple goods and services orientation to meet local livelihoods. Following a general decline in forest management to stem resource use pressure through "police" style enforcement, a local community based organization has, together with the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), gradually assumed forest management role of the forest.

Got Ramogi

The General Assembly of Got Ramogi forest village community (a local CBO), had established a number of committees on 25th August 1993 of which the Village Forest Committee (VFC) is the most central. The CBO has been active from this time and elects its committees every three years. Local government officers participate in the VFC as ex-officios. The CBO has developed management rules for guiding the sustainable management of forest and other forest based renewable resources, and micro-enterprises constituted to stimulate development. The VFC works closely with the forest service and KEFRI on the management of the forest and rule enforcement, but requires support and empowerment for its efforts to be effective.

Assumptions

(i) The new forest management paradigm will promote participatory forest ownership by local communities, their participation in management and assure equitable flow of benefits to them, and
(ii) A combined effect of community ownership, access to benefits, and enforcement by consent will promote sustainable management of Got Ramogi forest.

THE OBJECTIVE

The goal and objective of the initiative is to mobilize and empower the Got Ramogi community to participate in Community-Based Natural Resource Management to improve their livelihoods, and promote socio-economic development through sustainable use of biodiversity (forestry goods and services) and management of forest-based micro-enterprises such as ecotourism, including the conservation of the sacred sites.

THE MAIN ACTIVITIES

The main activities will include empowering local community institutions to undertake sustainable management of natural resources; promoting awareness of the importance of social values of sacred forests, sites and groves in development, development of community-based enterprises based on promising alternating sources of livelihood, wealth generation and developing methodologies and technologies for sustainable natural resources management, through research and development.

The following pillar activities will be undertaken:

(a) Building of the Got Ramogi community based forest management trust, undertaking iterative learning, capacity building and forging partnerships between the community and her facilitating partners.
(b) Promoting sustainable management of wood and (NWFPs) for domestic use and trade, developing capacities for business skills; and raising of fast growing high value trees, aromatic and medicinal plants.
(c) Developing Got Ramogi forest as a tourist destination with recreational amenities; conducting socio-anthropological studies; documenting the region's treasured history and splendour, recasting traditional tools, implements, rehabilitating and reconstructing sacred sites within and around the hill and view points (observation posts); providing opportunities for ecological and cultural education; constructing a community museum, promoting folklores, dances, poetry, traditional religion; and developing inspiring adventure trials across the forests embracing fantasies and fairy tales on past Africa lifestyles; and developing appropriate facilities to support non-consumptive use of existing forest and lake water resources (lake cruises) and other activities of socio-cultural values.