Dahari 1155 views

The Comoros islands are a group of four volcanic islands located between Mozambique and Madagascar. The islands boast magnificent landscapes but suffer from one of the highest levels of deforestation in the world, endangering the livelihoods of the rural population and endemic biodiversity. Over the last decade, Dahari has developed an integrated and unique intervention model to combat this problem onthe island of Anjouan. Founded in February 2013 as the result of a five-year program on the island of Anjouan, Dahari has quickly established itself as one of the leading NGOs in the Comoros with a multicultural team of 75 permanent and temporary employees. Dahari's holistic intervention model includes actions in the areas of agricultural and agro-forestry development, forest management around watersheds, ecological research, conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems based on a payment for services approach, as well as the management of marine and coastal resources. The NGO also carries out ecotourism actions. Our work is increasingly recognised, thanks to the technical support of international partners.

The last six years has seen Dahari successfully expand from a team of 23 to 70 employees. Annual expenses increased from 70 000 € to 480 000 €, allowing the diversification and implementation of new programs, and the number of villages supported by Dahari to increase from 9 to 17. The development and expansion of activities are guided by our strategic plan from 2015 to 2020, and implemented by an experienced and close-knit team that has been working together for nearly a decade.

With a proven track record on the island of Anjouan, and gaining the trust of international donors and partners, Dahari hopes for the continued expansion of interventions on Anjouan, but also on the islands of Moheli and Grande Comore. This will be achieved by an evolving Dahari team with support from internationally renowned institutions such as the International Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), CIRAD, Blue Ventures Conservation, the University of Bangor (UK) and the University of Oxford (UK).