Environmental Conservation

Tanzania, as well as many other countries, face changes due to climate change and the growth of population. 

Former forests, which were a fertile living space for several species of animals and reptiles, got cut down to create more space for farming purposes and to feed the community. Moreover you can see changes in the environment all around the country. Some specific trees do not get enough rain during the year any more and have to die eventually. Trees, forests and a healthy environment are necessary for every community and the whole of humanity to produce fresh air, give shade and an appropriate living space to humans and animals.

Gladness Pallangyo founded the Tengeru Cultural Tourism Program in 2006. She wanted to share her passion for the conservation of the environment with the community and visitors. She saw the need to stop the ongoing deforestation in her home, which is around Mt. Meru,  the fourth highest mountain in the whole of Africa. For over 10 years she is now fighting for environmental conservation around her, giving lessons to neighbors, visiting schools to educate the youth and inviting tourist to share days with her in the area. She wants to share her knowledge about how to preserve nature and have an income at the same time.  Her aim is to educate society and herself continuously to reach more sustainability within her work and more awareness of the needs of the environment to create a green place to live in.

The project

The Tengeru Environmental Conservation Program is a part of the Cultural Tourism Program, where visitors can see the Arusha environment on the slopes of Mount Meru. They get told about the peculiarities of this area and the methods the farmer use to protect the environment. At the end of the tour every single visitor gets a certificate, promising that one tree will be planted in their name in the rain season. The project's motto is "conserve your environment to conserve you“. Moreover the program's members start regular campaigns  where they educate the community, as well as school pupils, about the necessity of their work and what every single person is able to do to participate.

As a volunteer you will work together with the staff, guides and coordinators of Tengeru Cultural Program to create new ways of conserving the local environment. You will become a full member of the team to enrich their knowledge with yours and exchange a lot of ideas. Furthermore you will report to the officers, who are working in the Mt. Meru Forest Conservation Area, before and after planting activities.

Important

You do not need any previous knowledge, but a strong belief of the importance of environmental conservation and a love to communicate with people about that topic should be a given part of you. Please note: in order to implement the project and buy trees an one-time donation of 50 US-Dollar is required.

Your work - a typical day

The Volunteer's House is located in Mianzini, Arusha, which is a busy but safe suburban area. From there you will start your daily travel by walking and local transportation from the Volunteers House, or the Host Family, to Tengeru in the early morning. There you will meet with your supervisor at the program's head office to discuss the day and what to do. Your role within the project will be discussed on your first day and depends on your previous experience and interests. You will walk and drive around the slopes of Mt. Meru daily and gain new experiences, you will work there together with local people, who are interested in the same task as you, preserving the environment and reforesting the area.

Maybe you will visit schools and educate the pupils about your work as part of the environmental conservation team, plant trees at the school and explain to the students what each of them can do to conserve the environment around them.

Or you might go up the hills of Mt. Meru to report to the ministry office of the Forest Reserve and afterwards plant trees in order to reforest the area or become part of the avocado tree planting to improve the farmer's stable income.

Moreover you will be a part of the touristic tours and assist the guides to increase and share your knowledge. There you will be part of meetings within the community and the project to discuss further improvement and new ideas. You will meet with people to discuss the value of your work daily, in order to bring the community closer together to follow this one goal: to conserve and protect the environment.

You can start working at this project any day of the week that suits you.
On your first day we will do a town tour showing you Arusha, how to use the buses, where to find ATMs, exchange money and much more.
The next day one of our staff members will take you to your project showing you the way and making sure you are always safe.

We offer a wide range of activities at affordable volunteer rates like:

1. Hiking/Walking tours to waterfalls, through forests and around a lake.

2. Swimming in paradise like hot springs with a glimpse of  Mt.Kilimanjaro.

3. Cultural tours to Maasai markets and the possibility to visit different ethnic groups.

4. Coffee plantation tour to learn about the process from the bean to the finished product.

5. Safaris to the national parks of the Northern Circuit (Arusha NP, Lake Manyara NP, Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Conservation Area).

6. Climbing Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro.

7. FREE town tour for all our volunteers!