Plant some trees, save the world. Simple, right?
Actually, it is! With our planet facing a worldwide crisis due to pollution, loss of vegetation and deforestation, it is essential for communities everywhere to team up and stop the rot. Our lives literally depend on it. So were rounded up all of our volunteers, hopped in the truck and headed on down to our good friends at Tengeru Environmental Conservation Program to see what we could do!
Winner of the 2015 Africa Award for Cultural and Heritage Preservation, Tengeru Environmental Conservation Program faced a lot of adversity in the beginning.
Founded by the inspirational Mama Gladness O. Pallangyo way back in 1998, it wasn’t until 2004 that the TTB (Tanzania Tourist Board) finally accepted the program and offered some help. Now, Tengeru continues to fight the ongoing struggle in cleaning up Tanzania’s wildlife and educating the local people.
Arriving bright and early, we were welcomed warmly by Reuben – manager and tour guide extraordinaire. He took us on down to the local primary school where we recruited a smiley bunch of children to assist us in planting 3,000 trees in the local area. Armed with our shovels and saplings, we ventured over hills and gardens over several miles, with the aid of local people and their land, we made swift, but sweaty, work of it! Using our little knowledge of Swahili, we shared many laughs along the way but, most importantly, our mission to plant 3,000 trees in one day was a success.
Despite the fun we had, this is a serious topic that needs to be addressed by everyone.
Our planet is in serious danger, and projects like these, no matter how small, make such a huge difference. I encourage everyone to get involved with their local community, spread the word and get your hands dirty today!