BACKGROUND OF FOMAF.

FOMAF was born in 2001 by women and youth resident in Mpigi District, Uganda after a series of consultative meetings funded by the Forest Department- Uganda and Voluntary Services Overseas- Uganda Programme Office.

FOMAF was registered as a Community Based Organization (CBO), with authority to operate around the 40 degraded forest reserves and adjacent wetlands in Mpigi District. The entire leadership is derived from the local community. 

The highest organ of leadership is the ANNUAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE (ADC), which appoints a BOARD OF DIRECTORS (BOD) through elections conducted within Sub County level. Mpigi District has 5 Sub Counties.

The BOD appoints the SECRETARIAT that runs the day to day affairs of FOMAF. The secretariat consists of a COORDINATOR, an ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT and a DRIVER. ADVISERS and VOLUNTEERS are also sought from time to time depending on projects on the ground. These are invited by the Secretariat but with authority from the BOD.

Funded projects attract other manpower, called the PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT (PIU). Each project has its own field staff, unless duties intermingle. The PIU is headed by the Coordinator, who overseas all projects. Each project has its own field staff, while the driver is there to assist whenever field work requires a vehicle.  

WHY A COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION?

That the loss of biological diversity within the forests in Mpigi mainly from habitat destruction and over harvesting had reached alarming levels.

  That people needed a strong institutional framework if they are to improve their livelihoods.

  Biological resources in Mpigi District constitute a massive capital asset that can sustainably be utilized to yield maximum benefits over a long period of time.

Urgent and decisive action is needed to conserve and maintain genes, species and ecosystems with a view to the sustainable management and use of natural resources.

Effective co-operation with other organizations, both national and international was required for the in-situ protection of ecosystems for the enhancement of ecosystem functions.

That women and the youth in the district had been marginalized and needed assistance to develop themselves.

People felt local species conservation was vital for future generations.

OBJECTIVES OF FOMAF.

To promote alternative income generation activities in the villages surrounding Mpigi group of forests an wetlands.

 To sensitize the community in the said area on the values of and importance of forests and wetlands.

To open up tree planting campaigns in the areas surrounding Mpigi group of forests.

 Encourage and promote Ecotourism in some of the forest blocks with the capacity to handle visitors.

Sensitize communities on agro forestry and conservation enterprises.

To establish community energy saving programmes.

 To support and encourage afforestation and reforestation in private and public land.

To conduct environmental education in schools and the community.

To monitor the status of the Mpigi group of forests and make strategic response to crises as they arise.

To initiate and support health and development oriented initiatives as a way of reducing community dependence on the forest.

To promote networking with other CBO’s, NGO’s and government organizations involved in integrated resource conservation and management programmes.

To identify and solicit fund for the organization in order to strengthen the organization management capacity and that of its members in natural resource management, provision of service an poverty alleviation.

To establish programmes that are to assist local people develop economically.

To empower the woman and the girl child.