Gorilla Journal 30, June 2005
Dangers to Kahuzi-Biega and POPOF's Artisan Program
The Pole Pole Foundation, "POPOF", is a non-governmental
organisation created by residents and workers in and around the Kahuzi-Biega
National Park. POPOF's aim is to involve the local communities in the
long-term protection and conservation of the park in order to reduce human
pressure on its natural resources.
"Empty stomach got not ears" is always the expression used in
the different communities living in the park's vicinity; it means that
they are poor and jobless. Our attempts to fight against the destructive
activities of those people damaging the park was to
- create jobs or occupations, and
- to initiate the environmental education program, while
- increasing public awareness for the importance of the natural resources of the park to all people.
Despite the hardships caused by the wars in the Great Lakes Region in general since 1990 and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in particular since 1996, POPOF and other organisations did not stay inactive, and POPOF has supported the area around the Kahuzi-Biega National Park through a number of activities:
- reafforestation,
- sewing training for Pygmy women (former poachers in the park),
- wood carvings and embroidery by Bantu and Pygmy men and women (former poachers in the park) and
- environmental education.
All these initiatives are aimed at im-proving the living conditions of people living in the surroundings of the park and inviting them to participate actively in our struggle for the survival of its natural resources. More projects to create more occupations for these people are still on ice because there is no budget to get them started.
The Main Causes of Park Destruction
Difficulties of the government to promote and ensure the protection
of the country's natural resources. This had many harmful consequences.
Since 1970, there have been tracks crossing the park and, until 1996,
the park rangers collected taxes from people who wanted to enter the park.
Poaching on a high level was also observed.
Wars in the Great Lakes Region. This caused an increase of the
park's destruction. The Rwandan refugees who poured into the area in 1994
remained a major problem for a long time, one which persists until today.
The confused situation in Congo also reinforced the difficulties of conservation.
The local population has illegal guns, and is hunting in the park. Many
animals have been killed and trees cut down for a diversity of purposes.
Moreover, 7 silverbacks of the habituated gorilla groups were shot between
1990 and 2003.
Silverbacks killed
| Name | Date or year of death | Observations |
| Maheshe 1 | November 3, 1993 | flesh and trophies |
| Mushamuka | April 17, 1997 | body not found |
| Nindja | October 30, 1997 | consumed for flesh and for trophies |
| Mubalala | July 1999 | flesh |
| Lambchop (Maheshe 2) | August 1999 | flesh and trophies |
| Munene | August 1999 | flesh and trophies |
| Mishebere | February 2003 | body not found |
Population explosion around the park. The Kahuzi-Biega National
Park is located in an overpopulated region. Six different peoples live
in the park's surroundings: Bashi, Batembo, Bakano, Banyanga, and Batwa
(Pygmies). The Bashi breed cows, goats and sheep; the other five are forest
peoples who live from hunting and harvesting fruits, wild vegetables,
mushrooms and honey.
The average number of children in each family is six. During the war that
started in October 1996, several families were displaced from the vicinity
of the Kahuzi-Biega lowland sector, and moved to the small highland area
for shelter. These and many other people are afraid of looting, rape,
and shooting by different armed factions every day. When the gunmen enter
the villagers' houses at night, the householders give them money first;
if no money is available, the gunmen take goats or cows, and then mothers-in-law,
daughters-in law, girls, old and young are raped.
Today, 500 persons per km² live near the park headquarters. The great
majority of this population near the park is illiterate and remains totally
ignorant of the importance of natural resources conservation. Because
of their poverty, the villagers make incursions into the park and practice
illegal activities such as cutting trees and bamboo, as well as trapping
animals. At the same time, they look for precious ores, such as gold,
coltan and cassiterite. There are also conflicts between the park and
the local population; crop-raiding animals, for example, are a common
cause of conflict.
Artisan Program
To involve the local population and improve their living conditions, POPOF,
with support of its partners and friends, created the artisan program
(wood carving) and instituted environmental education for the communities
in the vicinity of the park. As an example of these activities, we will
present the artisan program here.
This program was initiated by POPOF in 1993. The main objective is to
take care of the population surrounding the Kahuzi-Biega National Park
by creating jobs in order to reduce and finally to eradicate human pressure
on the park's natural resources.
After a census of poachers, POPOF set up workshops for handicraft training,
especially wood carving (for men) and embroidery (for women). The men
carved souvenirs, especially of gorillas. During this phase, POPOF received
funds from Japan for the plantation of carving wood trees such as Markhamia
lutea and Jacaranda mimosifolia. The plants were distributed
to the local population to cultivate them in the fields and gardens, or
as borders to their fields. POPOF paid US$ 5 for each mature tree, and
received further material for carving through the POPOF office in Japan
and PIC (Partners In Conservation).
Today, the POPOF artisan production includes the embroidery of patches
reflecting different faces of gorillas. The wood carvers produce souvenirs
of gorillas, giraffes, rhinoceros, zebras, and other animals. Cow horns
and metal are also used for sculpture. Since 1994, the number of items
produced has increased from 300 to more than 1900 per year. They are partly
used by the environmental education program as teaching materials, but
many are sold, mainly at an international level - in Japan and the USA
- to provide an income for the project (paying artists etc.) and other
activities by POPOF for the long-term conservation of the park's wildlife
and habitat.
The project faced many difficulties because of the unstable situation.
There have been a loss of people, lootings, rapes, and many hardships,
which often disheartened the artisans. Moreover, in May and June 2004
the POPOF office was looted systematically (nothing was left!) including
tools for carving, computers, GPS, cameras and the money for the Pygmies'
clothes sewing project by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund-Europe.
All our investments of 12 years disappeared in one day.
Another problem is the lack of funds for the project; this unavoidably
means that the artisans lose motivation. Moreover, the huts we use as
workshops are very old, and leak when there is a little rain. POPOF wants
to find more funds to keep this program working and to extend its activities
to other villages near the park.
POPOF's wood carvers with gorilla sculptures
Photo: J. Kahekwa
Conclusion
Integrating the local population in the conservation of PNKB is the main
aim of POPOF. To do this, we need to create many more initiatives. The
handicrafts programme initiated by POPOF essentially aims at creating
jobs for former poachers (Bantu and Batwa Pygmies) so as to progressively
reduce their natural resource predation in the park.
The outstanding method that POPOF uses to spread environmental education
in the park's neighbourhood is to build schools. The kindergarten, the
primary and the secondary schools (which will have a forestry section
from September 2005) are already functioning.
We are convinced that this is the only way to promote a harmonious, good
and close mutual relationship between PNKB and the population. In this
way, human pressure on the park will be progressively reduced.
John Kahekwa
John Kahekwa has been working at the Kahuzi-Biega
National Park since 1983. He habituated gorilla groups and took part in
scientific studies until 2003. He founded the Pole Pole Foundation
that has been cooperating with the population around the park since 1992,
a new way to fight poaching.