Forest management project benefits women

At least 100 women's organisations in Kita district, southwestern Mali have increased their incomes from forests under a project supported by the UN Development Fund (UNDP), through soap and charcoal production, beekeeping, farming and marketing shea nuts, the UN agency reported on Wednesday. The four-year project manages local forests, the UNDP said. It oversees 110,000 hectares in seven protected forest areas, and supports land management plans for 15 villages. Wood from the forests is sold through 90 rural groups, in conjunction with Mali’s Ministry of Rural Development, UNDP added. "The project helps people understand that sustainable management of forests can add to their income," UNDP quoted Daouda Touré, mayor of Kita, as saying. Earnings from selling wood go to the local savings and loan association. Proceeds have also financed schools and health centres. The project supports training, conducted in the local Bambara language, in management, forestry, sustainable charcoal production, and soap making. Officials from local communities and the district have also been trained in public administration to promote decentralization and natural resources management. The project has received US $1.7 million from Mali, Norway and UNDP. The International Labour Organisation is a partner.