Africa Centre for Holistic Management
Dr Constance Neely

The Wange Community of northwest Zimbabwe typify most of the problems that plague rural communities in Africa, namely, desertifying land, the drying up of rivers, boreholes and dams, approximately 80,000 people in poverty, rampant AIDS, constantly failing crops, dwindling livestock, the exodus of young people, rampant poaching of nearby timber and wildlife in state lands and more in a country experiencing violence, corruption and economic meltdown to an alarming degree. The Africa Centre is a local not-for profit organization established by Zimbabweans to reverse this situation meaningfully over time starting in their own community but extending assistance throughout English speaking Africa. All of the local problems are being addressed in a realistic manner through local drive and commitment.

This is an ongoing project as neither reversing land degradation nor achieving lasting social change can be achieved through projects of short duration – no matter how well intended. For this reason the project is constantly referred to as a 100 year project. The project is based upon achieving the desired reversal of land degradation and all of its many symptoms – droughts, floods, poverty, social breakdown, violence, abuse of women and children, etc. through empowering people to take charge of their lives and destiny by using a holistic decision making framework developed by the Zimbabwean founder of the project.

The overall achievements to date are that the project is an island of calm in the chaos of today’s Zimbabwe. There have been over 2000 village members trained through the conservation projects (grazing, home gardens, women’s banks, wildlife management). War veterans are being trained as Game Scouts and actively catch poachers while sharing income from organized wildlife safari hunting. All the Chiefs of the vast Wange Communal Lands are Trustees and commit significant time and energy to governance of the Africa Centre. To date 24 women’s banks have been formed by over 500 women. While many people – black and white, have been losing land, four ranches have been added to the communities piece of privately held land to enable the Africa Centre to now form a College of Agriculture, Wildlife and Conservation Management. The total land now managed by the Africa Centre amounts to 20,000 acres. This land held by the Trustees for the good of the community is dramatically improving with vast increases in ground cover, grass for animals and wildlife, increased water in boreholes and with one of it’s main rivers close to once more becoming perennial in flow. Wildlife has increased tenfold or more on the project land.

Substantial training and coaching has been provided to the community on permaculture techniques and on grazing planning (to reverse land degradation and restore water to rivers and boreholes). Steps are being made to establish a monitoring program to formally capture the gains being made socially, environmentally and economically in the community in a comprehensive manner. Due to the holistic grazing planning implemented by the Africa Centre on their land, a substantial number of the community’s livestock was saved from death during recent poor seasons. Where the project land had previously been seriously deteriorating and was considered “overstocked” with 100 head of cattle, the Africa Centre is currently running a herd of over 600 cattle, goats, pigs, donkeys and horses with dramatic benefit to the land. The impact of the project at the watershed level is best illustrated with pictures taken on the same day. Plate 1 shows a dried up riverbed devoid of any base flow in the dry season and riparian vegetation. The second plate (Plate 2) is the community’s Dimbangombe river where the Africa Centre is now showing the entire community how to revitalize the land and wildlife through managing land with livestock without the traditional role of fire. A few years ago these scenes would have been similar.

Plate 1. Degraded riverbed common to the area.	Plate 2. Restored river and riparian zone.

The Africa Centre land so far impacted by the project is 20,000 acres which is but a small percentage of the over one million acres of the Wange communal lands, but it is their example and learning site. Now the work is being gradually extended to the areas of the two closest Chiefs Shana and Mvutu whose people are currently receiving education, training and coaching.
Rivers originating in the Wange communal lands are often prone to flash flooding and are dry during the long winter dry season. The example of a rehabilitated river presented in Plate 2 represents “new water” in that it was not previously flowing into the river but was being lost largely to soil surface evaporation. Such soil surface evaporation is being reduced by the people through the control of fires, while increasing livestock numbers but using the technique of holistic grazing planning developed by the Chairman of the Africa Centre and now being used in a number of countries world wide.

There are now approximately 500 women participating in the Africa Centre’s womens micro-lending banks. These are in their fourth year of operation and continue to maintain 100% payback rate with most women reporting significant and encouraging change in their households and food security. In addition through its efforts the Africa Centre is providing employment for 100 or more people as well as injecting many thousands of dollars into the community annually. Area of land impacted is currently 20,000 acres reasonably impacted, probably over 100 acres of improved small gardens scattered as well as gardens utilizing drip irrigation kits (provided by USAID with distribution, training and administration provided by Africa Centre staff).
Establishing deep trust and acceptance takes time and patience. This important aspect is not encouraged by 3-5 year projects and demands for quick and quantifiable results. The process must be driven by local people and developing a team of community leaders with the commitment and skills takes time.