MBABANE: Women earned $1,982.00(R29,732.00) in a project facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) and the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, UNDP online platforms reported.
It has been sprouted that through the UNDP-Protected Areas System of Eswatini (SNPAS) programme, funded by the Global Environment Facility(GEF) and implemented by the Eswatini National Trust Commission under the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, women in three landscapes harvested a total of 185 bundles of Lukhwane (Cyperus latifolius) and earned the income of USD1,982 (E29 732).
Lukhwane is used for making various handicraft products such as laundry bins and sleeping mats. Sleeping mats have a significant cultural value in Eswatini because they are used in wedding and funeral ceremonies.
“We’ve seen the benefits of keeping the wetlands protected because we draw water from it and harvest fibre for making sleeping mats and earning income,” said Tibani Ntshalintshali from Mphini.
ENVIRONMENT:Eswatini rural women earn R29,732.00 in UNDP-Ministry of Tourism Lukhwane environment environment project(picture: UNDP).