The Terminalia Sericea Project

In March 2016, we started an ambitious project to promote sustainability in the Tanzanian savannah with a special focus to:

• Conserve the miombo forests;
  

• Improve farmers’ income through agricultural and forestry training;
  

• Generate new income with beekeeping;
  

• Raise awareness on biodiversity conservation at school level.
  

It was the first endeavor to introduce such approach in the area.
The activity in schools was strongly appreciated by the local authorities of Dodoma’s municipality. It is now included in the broader government program called “Dodoma ya kijani” (Green Dodoma). For this initiative we cooperated with local public institutions that donated land to the project, and partnered with the Italian NGO CAST and the Tanzanian NGO Action for Community Care. Our local supplier was key to coordinate all efforts.

The main actions so far have been:

• Establishment of a Tanzanian National Association for the management and conservation of miombo forests in three areas;
  

• Identification of forest models as biodiversity hotbeds and centers for good agricultural practices: 3 areas of one hectare each;
  

• Introduction of best forestry training initiatives on: forest ecology, basic soil science, Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP), natural product management (sawing and drying timber, etc.), business planning and cost/benefit analysis;
  

• Launch of beekeeping activities: seed supply and professional training;
  

• Creation of gardens and plant nurseries in 4 schools, engaging 3,910 pupils.

The success of our activities was made possible by the engagement and serious motivation shown by local communities, and by the cooperation with local institutions that donated land to the project.

Main results:

• Important innovation and earning opportunity for local communities, while protecting the environment;

• We spread the concept of biodiversity conservation to the local communities through beekeeping and school gardens, widening the rage of the project activities;

• Through beekeeping, we offered an opportunity to improve family incomes and raised awareness on the shared interest to maintain tree cover.