Quirimbas National Park
The Quirimbas National Park (QNP) was established in June 2002 with the support of the local communities and other stakeholders. It is a bottom-up initiative to address existing problems through sustainable development and natural resource management in the communities, the Cabo Delgado Province and the park in particular.
The park totals an area of 750,639 ha, of which 152,237 ha are marine (the ocean, islands and S. Lazaro Bank) and 598.402 ha are terrestrial territory. The terrestrial part has long been recognized for its beautiful and pristine nature, with its rich and outstanding biodiversity and historical heritage.However, the fish stocks in the coastal area have been seriously decimated by overfishing and due to human settlements inside the wildlife habitats, there is human wildlife conflict on the continent, which the park has started to address. The loss of soil fertility due to permanent shifting cultivation, soil erosionand diseases that seriously affect Cashew-Nut and Coconut trees, have all contributed to a negative trend in livelihood quality for the locals. According to Cabo Delgado Strategic Plan, 2000-2005, the life expectancy was stated at 37.8 years, while the infant mortality above the 5 years old was of 295 in one thousand.
The Scholarship Campaign
WWF is active in the Quirimbas National Park area since 2001, and gives support to the implementation of the Park’s Management Plan. Considering an opportunity for human development and conservation efforts, the Environmental Fellows Association of Cabo Delgado (AMA) in partnership with the QNP and WWF launched a scholarship programme for young girls in 2005.The campaign’s goal was to provide schooling opportunities for young girls in the Ibo Island. Due to traditional reasons and poverty, young girls at the age of 13-14, are forced to give up school to become housewives (in some cases to men three times their age). This situation not only affects them, but also affects their children whom they must educate in the very near future.
One of the reasons why these girls are forced to give up school is that there are no secondary schools nearby where they can continue to study beyond 6th Grade. Instead they are kept in the community to take on marital duties. With these scholarships, they have now the opportunity to move to other villages to attend the secondary schools that exist there.
In its early stages the project ran awareness campaigns about gender issues, and about the benefits educated members bring to a community, especially those being women. When the campaign began the outlook was bleak, but the project has been a success. The number of participants in the Ibo district rose from 8 in 2006 to 20 in 2007. The goal is for 2007 to increase this number to 30 girls. In another district of the QNP, Macomia, the goal of 30 girls benefiting from the scholarships was achieved in 2006/7.
All sponsorship beneficiaries receive a monthly amount of 300, 00 Meticais** (approx. USD 12.5) for accommodation, transport and education materials.
** Metical (Currency)
Based on this fantastic experience, WWF and QNP now intend to expand the number of young girls going to school in PNQ in the future. But we need your HELP!
