Strengthening Forest Governance

Conservation depends on strong, transparent, and inclusive governance. We invest in building village- and district-level institutions that can manage forests equitably. We help communities form local forest committees, train leaders in forest laws and financial accountability, and facilitate participatory systems for decision-making and conflict resolution.

Our Forest Governance Dashboard, now used in over 300 villages, is a digital tool that helps communities assess performance and improve transparency. We’ve also developed social accountability mechanisms and supported the formal gazettement of 51 Village Land Forest Reserves, reinforcing legal recognition and community-led enforcement.

Governance isn’t just technical—it’s political. Our advocacy and policy engagement ensure that community governance systems are supported by national laws and frameworks. Since 2015, we’ve influenced at least five major forest policy documents and worked to incorporate community voices into political party manifestos during the 2015 and 2020 elections.

In Sauti Moja Village, Tunduru District, forest revenue once disappeared into the pockets of a few, while illegal loggers stripped the land, and villagers remained voiceless. We helped to change that.

By introducing its Village Financial Audit and Governance Monitoring Tool, community members gained the power to track where forest income was going. Emboldened by transparency, they challenged corrupt leadership and took back control. Today, that same revenue funds schools, healthcare, and infrastructure. One mother shared that her children, once learning on bare floors, now sit at desks. Sauti Moja’s journey proves that conservation isn’t just about saving trees—it’s about restoring dignity, equity, and community power.