Contribution of community conservation projects on improved livelihoods, and sustainable biodiversity conservation in Nyungwe National Park (Published)
Recently, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has established a revenue sharing scheme (RSS) to create a win-win approach in protected areas for effective biodiversity conservation and management. Through this scheme, around 1 billion Rwandan francs were invested to support around 152 Community Based Conservation Projects (CBCs), and integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs). This paper assessed the contribution of conservation projects around Nyungwe National Park (NNP). It evaluated their efficiency and effectiveness, and their socio-economic impact to the local community development. Secondary data about the revenue sharing projects and the amount of money allocated to each project were collected from RDB office. Primary data were collected through the interview and focus group discussion. To verify the findings from RDB, interview and focus group discussion (FGD) were used. Interview was done with local peoples around Nyungwe National Park and with community conservation wardens, while threats to NNP were verified by the consultation of reports from ranger based monitoring officers. The results showed that the value of resources collected by people from the park is higher than the revenue sharing support offered by RDB and consequently the revenue sharing scheme did not significantly reduce threats to biodiversity and its impact around NNP. We recommend the revision of the whole revenue sharing scheme, taking into account the cost of livelihoods of community surrounding the park.
Keywords: Development projects, Effectiveness, Efficiency, integrated conservation, revenue sharing scheme
Impact of an Educational Intervention of 40 Hours Training of Breast Feeding Promoting on the Knowledge and Attitude of a Sample of Health Professional Staff: A Study of A Pre and Post Evaluation (Published)
Health professionals have a crucial role in promotion, support and management of breastfeeding. To be effective in this effort, the clinician should focus on the issue from the preconception stage through pregnancy and delivery, and continue in subsequent infant care. To assess the effectiveness of the UNICEF/WHO 40-hour of breast feeding training through the assess breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes of the health profession staff before and after training course. Pre-posttest study with an intervention of an educational training course were conducted in Karbala maternity Hospital, during the period from May till July, 2016.A total of 90 participants arrange to reply to the invitation, Self-administered questionnaires were designed which include general demographic information, items related to the knowledge and attitude regarding the breast feeding. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS program (version 20) Results were presented as the frequencies and percentage in tables and figures. Chi-square test was used to determine any association found between these demographic variables and knowledge and attitudes. P value < 0.05 considered as cut off value for significance. The study revealed that the majority 48.9% of the participants achieved fair level score of knowledge regarding to breast feeding in pretest while the knowledge score improved as the majority 75.6% reported good knowledge in posttest. There is improvement regarding the knowledge related to basic information, breast feeding problems management and hospital policies supporting breast feeding. This improvement was significant statistically regrading knowledge related to the basic information (sings of adequate breast feeding 77.8%, breast feeding with local anesthesia 82.2%, breast feeding benefit 97.8% and contraindication to breast feeding84.4% with p<0.05. There is an improvement in good attitude from pretest to posttest in each attitude questions except for Q 14 and Q 15 (Formula is as healthy for an infant as breast milk, Breast-feeding is more convenient. than formula-feeding) the attitude is slightly reversed in the posttest. Significant statistical association were reported regarding the effect of the course of breast feeding promotion training in certain aspects of attitude questions especially the breastfeeding benefit aspect. UNICEF/WHO 40-hour of breast feeding training was effective tool to assess the breast feeding knowledge and attitudes among health profession staff that provide maternity care.
Keywords: Assess, Attitudes, Breast Feeding Training, Effectiveness, Health Profession Staff, Knowledge, Pre and Posttest.