The Mama Misitu Campaign was launched today on 31st July 2012 at the Karim Jee Hall, Dar es Salaam by guest of Honor of the event Hon.Mwantumu Mahiza,Regional Commissioner of the Coast Region.

Mr. Gwamaka P. Mwakyanjala, Mama Misitu Campaign Manager, introduced Mama Misitu Campaign as a communications campaign aimed at improving the governance of Tanzania’s forestry resources and reducing illegal forest harvesting. Ultimately, it’s an effort to ensure that Tanzanian citizens increasingly benefit from sustainably managed forest resources. The Tanzania Forest Working Group (TFWG), hosted by the Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF), launched the first phase of the campaign in 2008.

He added that, the campaign was initiated in response to the 2007 report by TRAFFIC, ‘Forestry, Governance and National Development: lessons learnt from a logging boom in Southern Tanzania’.

He continued to say, this report bring several key issues to light, including revenue shortfalls, large-scale corruption, unsustainable rates of harvesting, and loss of biodiversity. The report recommended community participation in forest management through outreach and advocacy to reduce illegal logging.And based on these recommendations the Mama Misitu Campaign was developed.

He said, working in eight districts, the second phase of the Mama Misitu Campaign will work to build public, private and non-governmental partnerships, and networks related to sustainable use of forestry and timber resources. Eleven partners will implement the campaign at the national and local levels. The implementing partners for the campaign include TFCG, WWF, Policy Forum, LEAT, WCST, MJUMITA, MCDI, FEMINA, TNRF, JET and TRAFFIC.

In her speech Hon. Mwantumu Mahiza, encouraged people to plant trees so that the country could be saved from deforestation.

Natives from different parts of Tanzania gave out their tetimonies. Mr. Omari Kijumile, a native from Ruhatwe village in Kilwa district said how the campaign has helped him and said the challenge that they face is the tension between the national policy of Kilimo Kwanza and forest governance as community members are looking towards farming as a way of promoting Kilimo Kwanza.