New England Biolabs Funds Fonga Women’s Group

    One adult group associated with Sebastian’s tree planting activities is the Fonga Women’s Group, located in rural Moshi south of Mt. Kilimanjaro. This group was founded in 2001 by 10 women who came together to try to solve their own economic problems as well as some pressing community needs. They are supporting mpingo conservation and education, as well as other tree planting activities for environmental and economic improvement. They also make and sell fuel efficient stoves to conserve firewood. One very special project is the support of 20 orphans in their village for whom they provide clothing and school equipment until the 7th grade.

     In 2004 the ABCP submitted an application on their behalf to New England Biolabs Foundation. The request was approved and provides funding to build a tree nursery, and establish two micro-enterprises, a poultry project and a fish farming project. It also provides funds for educational trips and supplies for the orphans under their care.

The Fonga Women’s Group sponsors the educational and clothing needs of orphans in their village south of Kilimanjaro. These children have just received uniforms, notebooks and writing paper provided by a grant from New England Biolabs Foundation.

Members of the Kibosho East Environmental Group are transplanting seedlings from their tree nursery to a water catchment area in order to protect the Nsoo River in Sungu Forest on Mt. Kilimanjaro. This river is of importance for farmers in the area and also supplies water to Kibosho Hospital and Mweka College of Wildlife Management.

Kibosho East Environmental Group

    Five years ago a number of young people in Kibosho East were attending a ward meeting led by Sebastian Chuwa, which was called to discuss environmental problems in the area. These young people had been trained in Sebastian’s Malihai Clubs in school and thus were knowledgeable about conservation. After the meeting ended, they talked among themselves and decided to form a group, calling themselves the Kibosho East Environmental Group. Their objective was to establish a small business that would offer products friendly to the environment.

    Their first activity was to acquire the rights to a plot of land, where they planted fast-growing firewood species, harvesting the branches to sell for fuel use. They also learned to make fuel efficient

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