Inspiring Groups

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I have had the opportunity here to meet some amazing people doing some amazing things. Jane Goodall's non-profit, Roots and Shoots has a local group here. I met four young people who have been volunteering with the group for years. They are active in schools throughout the region, teaching students about the environment, leading tree plantings, and organizing all kinds of activities. It was such a pleasure to meet them and to learn about their work.

Roots and Shoots volunteers with students at a local school planting trees




Bags of corn waiting to be ground into flour
We visited a business that processes corn to make corn flour. Most of the waste they produce can be used for animal feed. We also visited a few companies that purchase recyclable materials. One buys plastics, breaks it into small chips, and sells it to a company in Dar es Salaam, which is about 8 hours away. The other bought scrap metal and also sells to a company in Dar es Salaam.


Bags of plastic material to be recycled
Plastic chips























There are a few community groups here doing waste collection. One of them is even providing septic services. These are basically small businesses made up of community members, working within their communities. The work they have undertaken is pretty impressive. A lot of the improvements we are focusing on are related to supporting these small businesses.



It's hard to believe but I only have a few more days of working here. Monday we will have a Public Private Dialogue (PPD) and some meetings with the management of the municipality. Tuesday is  a holiday so the offices are closed, but I will use the time to finish my report. Wednesday will be spent going over the final recommendations with the staff I've been working with, and Thursday will be spent driving back to Dar es Salaam. Friday next week I will give my debriefing presentation and then I fly home on Saturday.

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