Community Projects

For thousands of years, people in Africa have lived with wildlife, now the winds of change are blowing. We believe that we must all endeavour to support the communities who are the true custodians of the land; that the wildlife will need their support in order to survive.

Sokwe have helped various Tanzanian communities understand this is an asset, these wild animals that have been grazing their lands, eating their livestock. We have assisted these communities to establish small businesses whereby they can now see the true value of wildlife and nature.

"The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only hope."
Wendell Berry

Ololosokwan Village
Since 1995, Sokwe have worked with a small village on the edge of Serengeti National Park, this village has some of Tanzania’s most photogenic countryside and plenty of wildlife. Sokwe helped the village to set up a small business of establishing campsites on their land for safari operators to use.
This project has assisted the village in the following:

• Secondary School vehicle repairs and upkeep.
• Primary School, the construction of classrooms, teachers housing and teaching aids.
• Village Administration Office construction.
• Medical Clinic construction.
• Educational Sponsorship for members of the village to have further education.
  

Ololosokwan has been used as a model project by AWF and many other NGO’s.

Piyaya
Started in 2002, Sokwe have worked with a second village on the edge of the Serengeti using the success of Ololosokwan as a model. Piyaya village is in a dry location, in the short grass plains and the edge of the Gol Mountains. This project is the only source of revenue that the village get. The village would like to use the revenue to improve their water supply.

Tunga Malenga
Tunga Malenga has no wildlife or fabulous campsites. We have however found a project for this village. It is the nearest village to the Ruaha National park gate, and Sokwe realized that camping operators needed a location to store and repair the camps while not in use. They helped the village to set out an area and to establish a safe and practical facility for the operators to use. Each year, operators will pay the village to store the mobile safari camps while they are not utilized.

Olasiti
Often one will forget the necessity to support communities that do not have access to funds generated from wildlife. Olasiti is a village on the edge of a City. The children in this village have never seen wild animals but in the future, will find themselves responsible for a decision that will affect their environment and the primary resource that supports their nation, wildlife.
Sokwe have supported this village with construction of classrooms and toilets and also educational materials.

Maajabu
There is no better medium than film to teach people. Maajabu (means amazing in Swahili) is a small NGO that Sokwe have formed that provides the chance for Tanzanians to watch amazing films of wildlife and the environment in Swahili. Maajabu is a mobile cinema unit travels around Tanzania showing environmental films to those that can make the difference if only they knew how. Maajabu shows them how.