The Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem Programme

Zuberi and Anna Kubagwa live next to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Photo Elin Larsson.
Zuberi and Anna Kubagwa live next to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Photo Elin Larsson.
We bolster conservation efforts within the Serengeti-Mara ecosystems by empowering local communities to embrace sustainable livelihoods.

The Mara-Serengeti landscape is renowned for its abundant wildlife, attracting travelers worldwide. However, for farmers coexisting with these wild animals, life can be challenging. From elephant droppings on farms to animal footprints in maize fields and crop destruction, the struggle is real. In some cases, conflicts escalate to the point of poaching or even fatalities.

The Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem Programme

The Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem Programme targets areas marked by high poverty rates and human-wildlife conflicts. Through initiatives focusing on sustainable livelihoods and ecosystem management, the project seeks to enhance farmer livelihoods and mitigate conflicts by restoring wildlife corridors.

Phase I of the programme was made possible by generous funding from the European Union 2018 to 2021. In the first phase, we worked with our esteemed implementing partners Bunda Farmers Development Support Organization (BUFADESO) and Fintea Growers Co-operative Union Ltd (Fintea) in the Tarime, Bunda, and Serengeti districts in Tanzania, and in Narok and Bomet counties in Kenya.

Join us for Phase II

Our collaborative efforts in conservation and community empowerment at the outskirts of nature and wildlife reserves continue. We are presently planning for a Phase II, looking for suitable partners and donors in Kenya, Tanzania and this time also in Uganda. Would you like to be among them? Contact us at info@viagroforestry.org.

Summary of Phase I

Reflections after completing Phase I

Community involvement in wildlife conservation in the SEMA Programme

Interviews with farmers during the SEMA Programme Phase I

Enhanced Regional Dialogue through the SEMA Programme