Tanzania: Grumeti Inspires Students to Be Conservationists

An official from Singita Grumeti Mr Noel Mbise gives a presentation during an environmental conference held at Bunda Day Secondary School last week.

By Mugini Jacob

Tarime — A crucial environmental conference centre that involves 120 students from Serengeti and Bunda Districts in Mara Region was held last week.

The four-days event was hosted by Singita Grumeti, a non-profit organization that leads what is seen as a fruitful environmental conservation campaign in 22 villages bordering Ikorongo/Grumeti Game reserves in western Serengeti. Singita Grumeti is also spending millions of money to support local development in the villages each year.

Ms Frida Molell, the Programme Officer for Natural Resources, Management and Conservation at Singita Grumeti said participants who attended the conference were picked from 12 schools.

She named the schools as; Rigicha, Ikoma, Natta, Nagusi, Issenye Mama Maria, Mihingo, Hunyari, Saziah, Nyendo, Kunzugu and Bunda Day where the event took place . "We had 10 representatives from each of the 12 secondary schools", Ms Mollel told the 'Daily News' at the sidelines of the conference.

She said the event was also coincided to commemorate the World Environmental Day that is celebrated June 5th every year across the globe. Interestingly, the students got an opportunity to visit the world famous Serengeti National Park.

"We are also commemorating World Environmental Day and before leaving the students will be taken for game viewing drive at Serengeti National Park", Ms Mollel said. Blessed with a variety beautiful fauna and flora, Serengeti is one of the country's major tourist destinations attracting tourists from different corners of the world.

According to Ms Mollel, Singita Grumeti has of late been hosting a similar conference which is called Mali Hai every year. She said that , the Mali Hai conference is an annual event aimed at providing environmental and wildlife conservation education to secondary school students in Serengeti and Bunda Districts.

Good news is that key conservation stakeholders striving to conserve and protect the great Serengeti ecosystem have also been backing the initiative. For examples some of these stakeholders made various presentations at the latest conference.

They included Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Mali Hai Clubs of Tanzania Lake Zone Office and Bunda District Council. Topics presented mostly focused on wildlife human conflicts and its social economic impact, Mali Hai history and its activities, legal and illegal trade in wildlife, micro credits in reducing poaching and improving community livelihood and categories of wildlife protected areas in Tanzania.

The students thanked the management of Singita Grumeti for enabling them to attend the conference and promised to spread environmental conservation campaign not only in schools but even in the villages where they live.

"I promise to make change after understanding that we are benefiting a lot from wild animals through tourism ", remarked Muniko Marwa (19), a form two student at Mihingo secondary school . Johari Elias (16), also a form three student at Ikoma Secondary School said she learnt important things on environmental conservation during the conference.

"After leaving here I am going to educate my fellow students that protection of environment is important in order to preserve water sources, getting fresh air and that we are immensely gaining more from wildlife through tourism", she pointed out. She added: I am also proud to participate in this conference because I have even changed environment. We are real grateful to Singita Grumeti.

Another student identified as Dotto Noah (17) from Saziah Secondary School in Bunda District said as members of Mali Hai we have learnt many things and from here we are going to show good examples from schools, at homes and in the communities"

Mr Humprey Ngogo, a teacher from Nagusi Secondary School hailed the environmental education saying that it was so beneficial to secondary school students. "

For example they learn how to prevent soil erosion, planting trees and recycling. They understand the benefits of wild animals and this will help to reduce poaching " Mr Ngogo said. Singita Grumeti has since 2009 been offering environmental conservation training to students at its Environmental Education Centre (EEC) . So far more than 1,000 students from Serengeti and Bunda Districts have benefited from the training programme, according to Ms Mollel.

Upon completion of the EEC course, beneficiary students return to their schools and communities where they become agents of change by among other things developing conservation clubs, planting indigenous trees and addressing soil erosion.

"We are happy that many students who have passed through EEC are behaving differently in preserving environment and they are innovating environmental friendly things like energy saving stoves" Mr Mollel said.

The centre is tipped to be the best environmental training centre for secondary school students across East and Central Africa. Besides supporting local development, Singita Grumeti conserves a 350,000- acre concession area bordering the world famous Serengeti National Park, an integral part of the Serengeti- Mara ecosystem and the home of great wildebeest migration.