Empowering Women to Become Agents of Change for Conservation in Four Villages Surrounding Njombe Forests KBA, Tanzania

Use a village-banking model to empower women in the four villages around the Njombe Forests Key Biodiversity Area of Tanzania to enable them to become "agents of change" in enhancing sustainable community-based forest management. The project will provide women with alternative sources of income for themselves and their families through a saving and credit model that aims to reduce overdependence on agriculture, which is one of the major threats to biodiversity in the area. The women's groups will serve as role models in conservation as they use loans they receive from the village banks to engage in enrichment planting, sustainable agriculture and environmentally-friendly businesses. The project also aims to build the women's capabilities through literacy programs so they can participate in and influence decision-making in their villages, wards and districts.