This summer I spent 2 months volunteering with a Tanzanian NGO called Envirocare. The project involved visiting 21 schools throughout the Songwe Region in the Westernmost corner of Tanzania.

The project had two main aspects, Environmental Education and Tree planting. We taught at 21 Primary and Secondary schools, with lessons focusing on the importance of trees, deforestation, climate change and agroforestry. Once lessons were over, the school children were taught how to create, plant and maintain a tree nursery we established in their school.

In two months, once the dry season is over and the seedlings have grown, an estimated 5 million trees will be planted by the schools visited, helping alleviate the pressures of deforestation that are pervasive throughout Tanzania, along with all the benefits and amenities that trees provide.

A young male Elephant in Mikumi National Park

Baobab Trees found throughout Tanzania. Known as the ‘Tree of Life’. Valuable for its edible fruit, source of water and medicinal properties

Sunset in Mikumi National Park

The Arid and dry plains of MPemba, where we volunteered for 2 months

Two school boys from Oswe Boys Secondary watering their schools tree nursery

Ipunga Secondary’s Poly-ethene Tree Nursery

All smiles after our Environmental Lesson at Ipunga Secondary School

Chris, head of Envirocare, helping prepare a bare-root tree nursery at Oswe Girls Secondary School

Teaching at Katete Secondary School

The road to Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa)

Stars seen from our home in MPemba, Tunduma during a power cut

We broke down, a lot

End of Project, meeting Tunduma’s Regional Planting officer and visiting their tree nursery

Post- Project visit to Zanzibar. Traditional fishing boats seen in Paje

Some RnR in the form of Kitesurfing in Paje, Zanzibar