A STORY OF A WOMAN IN FORESTRY GOVERANCE
Empowering women and Young People in Forestry Governance has an inclusive approach and Today we shine a light on a young vibrant lady who shares her experiences, challenges and opportunities in forestry Extraction -Her name is Jane Ngoma, based in Mkhanya Chiefdom in Mambwe District in Eastern Province Zambia , she is currently Chiefdom contact person for the current Project Funded by ActionAid Zambia and the Swedish Government – Empowering Women /Youths and other marginalized groups in Forestry Governance through amplifying their voices and participatory Actions. As we work towards greater inclusivity in forestry governance, we recognize the potential of women to shape the future of our forestry and building on the facts that women are the most users of forestry products her story among others becomes relevant by motivating other women -Through this 1 year Project supporting and empowering women leaders, we can create a more equitable and sustainable forestry sector that is non gender biased but offers equal opportunities – Jannie a mother of two Children a boy and girl She completed her high in school in 2017.Jannie Ngoma has been struggling to raise funds to further her education and she decided to start getting involved into local leadership governance through Community Based Organization and her interest for conservation of natural resources has been her driving wheel ,through interactions she has been actively participating in the Forestry Governance Project and at the same time she is an elected member of the Village Action Group in her area and holds a position of finance chairperson at VAG level.
Jannie Ngoma said, when we had a chance to meeting the consultant or Trainer on development of Business Model I understood the importance of Value Addition as I have been making ice blocks made from baobab fruits (mabuyu) and Tamarind (wembe; kawawasha) for sell of which I earn little income to support my family She goes in the bush to collect these wild fruits or sometimes she buys from the people goes around the communities selling the wildfruits. Jannie said she has been making money from the sale of these drinks and she has been able to send her two children to school and some money supports her household.
Jannie Ngoma continued to narrate that with the coming of new Project she is assure that her business will expand as soon the user groups will be bulking their products and also this will enhance their hard work as a team. She further said, since the bulking Centre will be at CRB office it means will be done in a formal and civilized manner.
Jannie Ngoma said she wants to inspire many women in mnkhanya and mfuwe at large to get involve into leadership governance roles of natural resources and with her exposure and interactions she added that she will contest the coming elections she intends to compete as a CRB chairperson at chiefdom level.
She explained the challenges faced by many women in a place like mfuwe for women to get into leadership roles are among the common ones such as cultural barriers, household chores overload as the segregating of women to be just at home and look after families , lack of support from other women and financial challenges that many women to not have financial resources to compete with men during elections hence the drawbacks however jannie said women are many in every meeting if supported they can win every election as most meeting organized the majority always participants are women. In conclusion she said that her journey has been shaped by the understanding that women’s participation is crucial for effective conservation and community development and this contributes to national growth.