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Video: How women in Tanzania are earning an income from raffia
Thousands of people in Tanzania are reliant on the forests around them to survive. As a result, the forests are slowly being destroyed. Deforestation is common as people are forced to cut down trees to create grazing land for livestock and to sell firewood and charcoal at markets simply to survive.
In order to help communities living in and around the forest and change the behaviour that leads to deforestation, FARM-Africa is helping people to find alternative ways of earning an income. By working with women in four villages in Nou Forest, Tanzania, FARM-Africa is helping them to increase their family’s income though the production and sale of raffia products.
People in these villages have been making raffia products for household use for many years but were unaware of the economic benefits of selling their products at market. The women are also taught how to plant raffia outside of the forest, to limit the destruction of the forest around them.
In this video clip, Selina, a member of the Arri village women's raffia group displays the raffia products she has made to sell at market. Her products, including baskets and carpets can be sold for 15,000 Tanzanian Shillings each (£7) and the income she receives means she can feed her family.
In the future, we want to take this project to a further seven villages, helping even more people in Tanzania to earn an income from the forests resources.
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