The Cooperative provides loans among members to support new income-generating ideas and emergency needs. This internal support system fosters solidarity and economic innovation within the community.

With the added income, many farmers have invested in other small businesses, such as dairy and poultry. This economic resilience reduces reliance on unsustainable practices and improves overall wellbeing.

Support from USAID’s PERFORM project helped scale up the partnership between KHP and the Cooperative. The funding strengthened the business model and increased long-term sustainability and impact.

The informal farmer group was formally registered as the Lucheche Cooperative and trained to manage its operations. This empowered the community to organize effectively and take charge of their development.

Farmers prune their trees and sell the leaf biomass to KHP for essential oil extraction, creating a sustainable and regular income stream. This reduces the need for environmentally harmful activities like illegal charcoal burning.

Kawandama Hills partnered with local farmers to plant Corymbia citriodora trees on their own farmland, encouraging sustainable land use and reforestation. This model protects the environment while giving communities ownership of the process.

Women groups established nurseries for multipurpose tree species. Supported by local leaders and ITC/IUCN, the initiative created income and reduced forest pressure. One farmer earned Rs 50,000 annually.

Farmers cultivated fodder on small plots, reducing forest grazing. Fodder crops like maize and oats were grown. Households saved Rs 2,500/year on livestock feed and saw improved animal health and milk production.

Invasive water hyacinth was removed from wetlands and transformed into compost. Compost pits were provided to community members, enhancing soil fertility while clearing waterways. Pilots showed savings of Rs 3,000 per cropping season and improved harvests of organic vegetables.

 Featuring black bear science education as an exhibition zone in the Hubei (Wuling Mountains) Wildlife Specimen Museum, externally promoting and popularizing species knowledge and project achievements. Nature educators organized public museum tours, conducted wildlife rescue activities, science lectures, etc., with annual public reception exceeding 35,000 person-times. By displaying spectacular black bear footage captured by the project, publishing science articles, and streaming real-time videos, visitors observed bears without disturbance. In recent years, illicit excavation, deforestation, and poaching have nearly vanished. Local residents now fully recognize the species’ importance; diverse educational approaches fostered comprehensive multidimensional understanding of Asian black bears, acknowledging them as part of the reserve community while avoiding intrusion into bear habitats.