DIAGNOSIS SITUACIONAL:

For the purpose of trying to learn more about how local people utilize the resources of Mt. Mulanje and how they perceive the ecosystem and its legal protections my research concentrates on qualitative information collected in two different villages near the reserve. The number of villages is limited to two due to the amount of time it takes to establish relationships and interact with people living and working in these locations. Furthermore, two villages also provides enough spatial variation to illuminate differences in the interaction between people and the reserve at locations directly adjacent to the reserve boundary and the interaction between people and the reserve at sites further away from MMFR. This focus on distance from the reserve is important, as only focusing on people living directly adjacent to the reserve could conceivably over- represent the magnitude of problematic forest resource use or other issues.

I chose these sites with the help of a local forestry department extension worker who has provided assistance on research projects with Dr. Carr and Dr. McCusker in the past, Duncan Chikwita. The first of these is Muhiyo, a village located just north of the Likhubula trading center on the MMFR’s western side.

Figure 3.10: Locations of specific sites in the research area

Muhiyo is split into two sections by the Phalombe road, an unpaved road that runs approximately 43 km from Mulanje Boma to Phalombe Boma (Boma is the term signifying the main town center of each district in Malawi). In Mulanje Boma you can find a mid-sized market, bus terminal, the post office, police station, and the government offices of the Mulanje district. Most people from Muhiyo travel infrequently to Mulanje Boma for market needs however, as there are larger markets that operate regularly

Muhiyo by foot, vehicle, or bicycle by the main road and then you can reach homes within the village by either bicycle or walking on the dirt footpaths.

Muhiyo

In Muhiyo I interviewed 100 people, 63 women and 37 men. Many men were away working as sawyers in the north or otherwise being occupied and so we found more women at home available for interviews. The residents of Muhiyo are by and large subsistence farmers growing a variety of crops including maize, pigeon peas, sorghum, rice, cassava, ground nuts, beans, sweet potatoes, and sugar cane.

Figure 3.11: Crops grown at Muhiyo Village

As far as livelihoods are concerned, subsistence farming is reported by all respondents in Muhiyo. Many men participate in supplemental employment as bicycle mechanics, masons, timber sawyers, teachers, and a few working for the Forestry Department or MMCT. The majority of women in the village are farmers and some sell firewood. Both men and women participate in ganu (contract farm work on the farms of others) for

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Muhiyo

wages. Selling of produce is also commonly practiced by families to make money for school fees, doctor visits, seed, fertilizer, and other expenses.

Figure 3.12: Livelihoods at Muhiyo Village

The second research site is Monjomo, a large village located roughly 3.2-4

kilometers from the western border of the reserve, partially bordering the western edge of Muhiyo village. You can reach Monjomo by vehicle by going west off of the Mulanje- Phalombe road at the Chambe trading center or you can reach it by bicycle using

footpaths that veer off of the main road prior to reaching the Chambe trading center. The road leading from the Phalombe road to a popular local market runs through a portion of Monjomo, this road is often used to transport timber harvested from MMFR according to several respondents. Information acquired at Monjomo provides insight into how distance from the reserve affects the way that people utilize resources from MMFR and the

intensity of that use. 0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00% 80.00% 90.00% 100.00%

Muhiyo

Monjomo

In Monjomo I interviewed 92 residents, 34 men and 58 women. Farmers in Monjomo grow several different crops including maize, pigeon peas, sorghum, rice, cassava, ground nuts, beans, and sweet potatoes. Unlike in Muhiyo, tobacco is grown in Monjomo, and is economically important for those who grow it.

Figure 3.13: Crops grown at Monjomo Village

Just as in Muhiyo, nearly all respondents in Monjomo report being subsistence farmers as a main part of their livelihoods. In Monjomo more people participate in business than in Muhiyo. Furthermore, in Monjomo no women report selling firewood as part of a livelihoods strategy and far fewer men report participating in sawyer activities.

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Monjomo

Figure 3.14: Livelihoods at Monjomo Village

In addition to Muhiyo and Monjomo villages I also conducted interviews and had conversations with management officials from the Forestry Department, MMCT, and development workers with The Mountain Biodiversity Increases Livelihoods Security (MOBI+LISE). The MOBI+LISE project is a USAID-funded 3 year project aimed at promoting alternative livelihood strategies in local communities surrounding the MMFR to further greater social and economic health in the region while maintaining the integrity of the Mt. Mulanje ecosystem.

In the next chapter I will detail the methods used to carry out this research project, including the specific interview questions asked. In the following chapters more detailed information will also be provided about the Forestry Department, MMCT and the

MOBI+LISE project and their operations. 0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00% 80.00% 90.00% 100.00% Farming Sell produce

Business Ganyu Other Sawyer