Osmond Mugweni is the Director of the Njeremeto Biodiversity Institute in Zimbabwe and an Ashoka Fellow. Ashoka works with social entrepreneurs, supporting them financially and helping them become “changemakers.”
“Land degradation is the disease of Southern Africa, worse than HIV/AIDS,” according to Osmond. Overgrazing of livestock is blamed for much of the land degradation in the region, but, says Osmond, “the management of animals is the problem, not the animals.” In order to prevent overgrazing, Osmond works to combine traditional practices with more modern agricultural methods, such as holistic planned grazing. These practices not only help prevent soil erosion, but improve farmers livelihoods. Watch Osmond talk about his work here.
