RESIDENTS of Kwedikabu Village in Kwamsisi Ward, Handeni District, Tanga Region, have a reason to celebrate after the District Commissioner granted them permission to continue harvesting sustainable charcoal from Block B of the Kwedikabu Village Land Forest Reserve.
Block B, which contains 100 plots, has now been earmarked for charcoal harvesting following challenges in Block A, which was found to have too few trees to support production. Jamal Muhsin, secretary of the MJUMIKWAMKWE network, made the announcement during a meeting that addressed policy challenges and opportunities in community-based forest management and the sustainable trade of forest products.
“We are grateful to the District Commissioner for allowing our village to obtain a permit to harvest sustainable charcoal. This will enable us to generate income for development projects such as a women and babies hospital, school desks, and housing for doctors and teachers,” he said.
According to Muhsin, Block B is expected to produce 3,571.5 bags of charcoal, each weighing 50 kilograms, while a total of 125 hectares has been set aside for harvesting within the reserve. Over a five-year period (2022–2026), the plan estimates 17,587.5 sacks of charcoal will be produced.
The announcement was made during an event that brought together decision-makers, village natural resources committee members, land and forestry officers, and implementers of the Integrated Forest Biomass Energy Solutions for Tanzania (IFBEST) project, funded by the European Union through the Ministry of Finance.
Before the commissioner’s intervention, villagers faced difficulties convincing buyers to harvest from Block A due to its limited tree cover. After a series of meetings involving the village council, natural resources committee, and MJUMIKWAMKWE representatives, a delegation presented the challenge to the commissioner, who authorized the switch to Block B.
Muhsin also thanked the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) and MJUMITA for their support in providing training on sustainable charcoal production, clean energy, carbon trading, and community-based forest management. He credited these organizations with helping establish the MJUMIKWAMKWE network, which brings together the villages of Kwamsisi, Mkalamo, and Kwedikabu to strengthen conservation efforts.
Through the network, awareness of forest conservation and clean energy use has grown. More villagers are now using gas and improved cook stoves that reduce charcoal consumption, while firewood use has dropped by 95.5 percent. Brick houses have replaced tree-based structures, further reducing pressure on forests.
“The knowledge we gained is our legacy. I now understand clean energy, carbon trading, the forest value chain, and sustainable charcoal harvesting, and I share this knowledge with my community,” Muhsin said.
These initiatives, supported by IFBEST and other stakeholders, have brought significant benefits. For example, the village recently received 70m/- from investors previously engaged in illegal mining within the forest reserve. The funds were used to help construct a 100m/- dispensary.
Villagers have now requested additional support from TFCG, MJUMITA, and other partners to strengthen forest security and management. Their appeals include transport facilities to ease patrols across distant forest reserves, three GPS devices to help mark reserve boundaries, and continued technical support.
They also invited the MJUMITA National Board to visit Kwedikabu to see both the historical “machete of Heri,” a symbol of resistance against German colonial forces, and the ongoing forest conservation activities.
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