LWC’S Commitment to People
In line with its commitment to addressing ‘People’ issues under the PAW concept, the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre has an active community outreach programme which addresses environmental, wildlife conservation, and domestic animal welfare issues along with, critical in a developing world context, the key humanitarian issues facing ordinary Malawians.
Lead by Clement Manjaalera the LWC team is working in partnership with WESM (Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi) to set up and engage on a regular basis with 12 active People & Wildlife Clubs in the 12 residential areas bordering the 90-hectare sanctuary in which the Centre is located - namely its immediate neighbours.
Drawn from the local community, these Clubs consist of 6 men and 6 women (including the local leader/Chief) chosen by their community to represent them and voice their views, concerns and aspirations from their relationship with the LWC.
Initial meetings conducted by the LWC team, WESM and Born Free’s PAW technical advisor on community issues (Dr Cheryl Mvula) identified a range of topics for the community and the Centre to work on together over the coming year.
These include:
- The community to help and support the Centre in achieving its goals in confiscating wild animals illegally kept as pets, in preventing poaching from occurring in the Centre’s wilderness zone, in ensuring that the electric security fence surrounding the Centre is not breached, and in promoting visits to the Centre from local Malawians.
- The Centre to assist the community in addressing environmental, conservation, domestic animal welfare and humanitarian issues within their localities through the provision of education, advice and awareness raising services to the community.
- The Centre to provide both direct and indirect benefits to the local community through:
- Employment opportunities at the LWC
- Providing access to the Centre’s visitors via the setting up of a local crafts market at the Centre run by the community
- Setting up purchasing agreements for the supply of animal feed and later, once built, for food and other locally-produced products for the café/restaurant facility at the Centre
- Hosting ‘free entry’ community days at the Centre for its immediate neighbours each year
- Making spare malina stumps available for collection by neighbouring communities for a nominal fee (for firewood)
- Allowing the community to collect medicinal plants from the Centre on a pre-arranged, escorted basis
- Enabling the PAW Clubs to become ambassadors for the Centre and to actively market it to schools and church groups in their area. Each PAW Club to receive a 10% commission on group bookings to assist them in managing their Clubs.
Other initiatives will be developed over time as the LWC and the community cement their relationship.
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