Community

The success of Umfurudzi Park largely depends on the relationship and parallel development of communities surrounding the Park.
Traditionally the Park was used as a source of resource for communities surrounding the Park. The resource has been used for many generations, for cattle grazing, gold panning, firewood collection, hunting, honey collecting, fishing and general passage to other communities. Since 2011, security within the park has been increased and community activity within the park has decreased significantly.
Umfurudzi Park together with our partners, ZPWMA and PCA have put resources through Parks extension services department to educated the community on the long term benefits of the Park and its rehabilitation.
Through community flyers and discussion groups with both the local council and community hierarchy, incidents within the park have greatly decreased, in some cases up to 90%.
However the challenge is to continue educating communities on the longer term benefits which the park will bring to them and future generations.
Communities will only begin to believe that the park will have a long-term benefit to their lives and the lives of the next generation when benefits can be quantified and development projects can begin.
As a solution to this, Umfurudzi Park has set up the Umfurudzi Green Fund, under the banner of Environment Africa. The fund is primarily for the development of revenue generating and income earning community projects, which in turn will assist in community development. Environment Africa has been operating for over 30years within community development projects and has had great success in this area.
Funding of the Umfurudzi Green fund is primarily through corporate sponsorship of the project as well as donor support. All fund disbursement and project approvals are approved by a sitting committee represented by all three partners.
The park has further pledged that 10% of future income generated from the Park will be put into community developments in the following areas, resourcing schools, clinics, water development, road infrastructure and educational projects.
The local community will also be involved directly in projects within the Park, namely, employment, curio manufacturing and selling, tourist infrastructure and accommodation through concessions, meat and skin processing and consumption and real estate development on the Park boundaries with access to Park activities and wildlife.
As the Park develops and tourist demand increases, the community will see direct benefits and the creation of innovative new products for tourists and their needs will see communities benefiting further.