Celebrating a conservation group and marking International Forest Day

By David Kiarie (Originally published Jun 27, 2013)

Educational Programs

Environmental Advocacy Program

The world is marking the international forest day today and will be observing the world water day tomorrow.

At Art In Tanzania, we would like to celebrate a group of young volunteers from Moshi town in the Kilimanjaro region who, for the last more than one decade, have been involved in the conservation of a key water catchment area.
KIVIWAMA, an acronym for Kikundi cha Vijana Wa Mazingira, was established in 1999. It was born out of the desire of about 15 founding members to conserve the environment.

According to the group’s secretary general Samuel Mochiwa, the youths could not just sit and watch the Njoro Juu water catchment area continue degrading.

‘’We had to do something to protect this area, a water source for hundreds of residents living in five villages, namely Mabogini, Chekereni, Bogini, Kwa Zara and Rau River,’’ Mochiwa said.

The group established a tree nursery and has been planting over 100 species of both indigenous and exotic trees.

The group’s spokesman said some of these trees are sold to residents at a low price, while others are donated to local public institutions like schools.
The group also processes papers using tree bark, which are sold to local artists for drawing. Some are sold at specific outlets within Moshi town, while others are sent to volunteers who help market them abroad.

‘’We, for example, sell our art papers, which go with the brand name Kili Paper, at a shop in the United Kingdom through one of our friends who we met while visiting Tanzania several years ago,’’ Mochiwa said.

The group, whose current membership is 10, also makes compost manure and does beekeeping.

Volunteers and interns from Art In Tanzania have been supporting the group in its daily work. ‘’They help sow seeds, water tree nurseries, transplant, and even make the Kili Paper. We are glad for the assistance,’’ Mochiwa said.

As the world marks these two critical days of forest and water, our call to all is to conserve the environment, our forests and water sources and bodies.