{"id":10665,"date":"2023-03-23T17:03:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-23T16:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tinateucher.com\/?p=10665"},"modified":"2025-06-20T13:27:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T11:27:13","slug":"kafred-association-for-rural-and-environmental-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tinateucher.com\/en\/blog\/kafred-association-for-rural-and-environmental-development\/","title":{"rendered":"KAFRED: Association For Rural and Environmental Development"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How can you harmonise nature conservation and community development successfully? KAFRED is an exceptional role model for regenerative ecotourism in Uganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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The Kibale Association For Rural and Environmental Development (KAFRED)<\/a> started its activities to improve the life of locals and increase the community\u2019s resilience. The community benefiting from the project founded in 1992 is the village of Bigodi near Fort Portal in western Uganda (Kamwenge District). However, equally important to KAFRED is protecting and supporting wildlife and biodiversity in the area. Bigodi lies in a papyrus wetland<\/a> which is an important wildlife corridor for the neighbouring Kibale Forest National Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Ecotourism
Ecotourism with KAFRED: Wooden bridge through the swamp in Bigodi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Bird watching in Uganda\u2019s Bigodi swamp with KAFRED<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Beneficiaries: 200 bird species from the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ecotourism & Conservation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As part of the ecotourism programme<\/a>, KAFRED and Bigodi locals offer guided walks through the wetlands and the village. Trained guides lead tourists through the swamp on wooden walkways to let them experience the abundant fauna and flora. A tour through the village gives the visitors an insight in the locals\u2019 traditional way of life. Part of the tour are the primary school, the church, and a traditional healer as well as discussions about women\u2019s roles in the village and traditional ceremonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Baboon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Baboon monkey in Kibale National park, Uganda. Visitors can enjoy guided tours in the park with the ecotourism organisation KAFRED.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Beneficiaries: 8 primate species from the Kibale Forest National Park<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regenerative Farmer Training<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

KAFRED trains farmers in regenerative agriculture practices, permaculture and agroforestry. In their demonstration agroforest of 5 acres, the team is planting, pruning and mulching. In the agroforest, vegetables, bananas, beans and cassava are grown for healthy nutrition. Crops such as coffee and groundnuts serve as a source of income, other plants such as vertiver (sweet grass) help prevent erosion on the sloping hills. Like in a natural ecosystem, the plants promote each other\u2019s growing, for example Codia trees and fig trees provide shade for the coffee and do not compete with it. Indigenous passion fruits can climb the codia and additionally bear sweet fruits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Farmer Rose (left) in her coffee garden with regenerative farming trainers from KAFRED (Uganda), Peter and Shamusah. The organic transformation of her farm increased her production and income, Rose says.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Flowers from the coffee plants in Bigodi, Uganda.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Before KAFRED started to work on the land, it was tilled conventionally, with conventional practices like spraying, burning and swamp clearing.  These practices not only depleted the soil and its fertility, but also threatened the nearby swamps and the creeks running down to the Kibale national park. By inspiring neighbour farmers to reduce or even stop spraying and respecting a buffer zone between fields and swamp, the water is now clearer and \u2013 thanks to KAFRED \u2013 is streamed to the national park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Produces from the coffee and groundnut are sold in the local market and to tourists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"KAFRED
Local farmers deliver the coffee beans to KAFRED, where it is hand-sorted to grades A to D and sold under the brand \u201cHornbill coffee\u201d. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Peter Ainebyona and his sister Shamusah from KAFRED at the coffee production site.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Beneficiaries: people from 300 households in Bigodi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community Development Projects through KAFRED<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Education<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the aim to enable quality education in Bigodi, KAFRED reinvests the ecotourism income. As the village did not have a secondary school (nearest was 35km away), the NGO established one in 1993. Now youths until the age of 16 can attend school more easily. It grew to more than 400 students (in 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KAFRED also runs environmental education programmes. For example, the NGO cooperated with the New Nature Foundation<\/a>\u2019s Kibale Fuel Wood Project to conserve the forest area. This partnership enabled the establishment of a Science Centre and led to the formation of a dance and drama women\u2019s group. The latter inspires with performances in neighbouring villages addressing conservation topics. Together with Nature for Kids and UNITE<\/a> (Uganda and North Carolina International Teaching for the Environment), KAFRED promotes environmental education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Success: KAFRED has stopped wetland encroachment in the area<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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>>> Another organisation combining community development, environmentally friendly livelihood and creative expression is Sekem in Egypt: see this blog article<\/a>. <<<<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kibale Fuel Wood Project Intro<\/div><\/div>
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