Governance
Mezimbite Forest Centre has, in its 30 years of existence, set the bar for developing appropriate reforestation techniques in the Miombo woodlands of Mozambique. Mozambique is one of the poorest and environmentally degraded countries in the world, and it also offers one of the toughest places to do business in. In order to protect the continuing essential environmental work, the Mezimbite Forest Foundation, a not-for-profit founded by Allan Schwarz in Zug, Switzerland, is well-regulated and offers a high level of transparency and protection. Mezimbite Forest Foundation is professionally administered by Kendris Ltd, Zurich. It is obliged by law to spend all of its earned income on its prime objective: to protect and restore forests, including their biodiversity and people.
This is achieved by:
Raise donor funds.
Organising, training and equipping family sector farmers (partly to blame for the mess) in regenerative agroforestry, concurrently grow organic food and indigenous trees in a symbiotic relationship, which empowers them to eat healthily and securely, earning incomes with some discretionary spending.
In return, the large amounts of carbon sequestered are measured and assigned to the Foundation, which has spent the Carbon and other funds on achieving this.
As the restored forest grows, there is some ongoing Carbon income which is spent on the incubation of local economic activity based on value adding to sustainable forest products such as food preservation and natural oil. Additionally, funds are spent on community/social infrastructure as desired and planned by the community (without political interference).
Any surplus funds may be used to develop and expand the program.