What drives your work?

Envirocare’s work touches the cross-cutting issues of poverty, gender and environment. This has given me the opportunity to be in touch with people in need, especially children and women. For them it is vital to address both environmental degradation and wealth creation to tackle poverty. From the beginning of my work, I wanted people to understand the potential and blessing of the natural resources we have in Tanzania. I also wanted my fellow citizens to appreciate, respect and care for the environment while engaging in developmental activities to protect and conserve it for present and future generations.

This is why I have started projects that help people, children and women to start their own income generation projects that are environmentally friendly. For example, we targeted families caring for more than 400 orphans and vulnerable children in Iringa and Mara region with projects including tailoring, chalk-making, carpentry, welding, food processing, tie-dye and farming. The projects have empowered them economically as well as socially. 

I have helped primary school teachers and pupils to start growing nutritious food crops in their school gardens in order to get a healthy diet in school without compromising their studies. In the process pupils are being nurtured to learn how to produce healthy food and care for the environment even as young farmers. As it is said,” teach your children while they are still young and they will never forget”. These will be future responsible farmers who will produce sustainably.