Photo Credit: Eswatini Environment Authority

The Nkonjwa Donga Rehabilitation project, located in the Lubombo region under the Sithobela Constituency, received a US$20,000 grant from the Eswatini Environment Fund in 2020. World Vision Eswatini worked in collaboration with Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Forestry Department, Eswatini Environment Authority, Eswatini Water and Agricultural Enterprise (EWADE) and the Ministry of Agriculture, department of Land Use Planning and Development. The implementation of this project protected the community's only water borehole, 7 at-risk homesteads, the main road, crop fields, and livestock from landslides bringing the total beneficiaries to 81 homesteads. Over 30 goats had already been killed by the donga's erosion. The project restored 19.6Ha of degraded land through vegetation regeneration and implemented donga stabilization. Kikuyu and vetiver grass was then planted for erosion control. Over 250 indigenous trees, and 80 commercial fruit trees were planted. The donga's expansion stopped and the land was successfully rehabilitated. A community association now manages the trees, earning livelihoods from fruit sales and sustainable water supply.