In October 2017, more than 300 Para-professionals were identified in six landscapes in Kigoma region. The need to carter for the shortage of professional field staff to sustain natural resources management for local economic development activities led to the addition of facilitators from the villages. The Paraprofessionals will participate fully to empower their fellow villagers during the project implementation even after the project phase out.

The paraprofessionals have so far received training in business plan formation, bee keeping as a business and record keeping which will assist them in training the people in their localities. The team got exchange visits within the project area to learn on NRM for LED best practices. The other group to train the BMU team, were trained on handling, processing, packaging and marketing of fish products. Various natural resources users, transformers, traders and corporate private sectors have been identified to work closely with the paraprofessionals.

Training on bee keeping and honey products will be done with the assistance from Tabora Bee keeping collage from Tabora. They will train the paraprofessionals on bee keeping as a business, the different uses of honey and its by-products and packing and handling of honey products.  Tanzania forestry services agency and Vocational education training authority will be assisting the paraprofessionals in the tree selection training, carpentry and sustainable forests management. This will help the facilitators to pass the knowledge to the grass root level so as to reduce unnecessary damage of natural resources. This group will also be trained in sustainable charcoal kilns to reduce the destruction of forests for charcoal making.

Construction of fish smoking kilns has simplified practical learning for the Beach management units and fishermen along Lake Tanganyika. Training on handling, processing, packaging and marketing of fish products has been put into consideration to boost fish product sales. Natural resources along Lake Tanganyika will be sustained through training of the paraprofessionals especially members of the beach management units.