Most of the Eyasi basin receives rainfall of between 500-600mm annually. Water is scarce in the basin except in a few areas around Lake Eyasi and where permanent small streams are found. Some seasonal crops like millet, sunflower, cassava, groundnuts, cowpeas, and fruit trees, which do not require heavy rainfall, can be grown successfully. At present, the communities cannot grow enough food to meet their annual requirements due to a lack of knowledge and capital.
This project is intending to make communities in the Eyasi basin produce enough food to meet household needs and sell the excess. The project will also pay attention to the conservation of the natural environment through best practices for soil and water management. The communities will be encouraged to grow trees that conserve soil and moisture and provide fruits, fuelwood, and timber for local needs.
To make this project successful, Savannah Vision Tanzania will require an annual budget of USD 20,000 to cover training, seeds/seedlings, initial capital for land cultivation, and continuous extension service.
When the Hadza adapt this project, it is expected that it will drastically improve their livelihood in terms of food security and income. This will reduce dependency on external food aid, which at present is very high.
