Posted on August, 20 2019

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Thomas Bwana, on behalf of the Deputy Permament Secretary (Vice President's Office - Union and Environment) applauded Vodacom Tanzania Foundation and World WWF initiative to address climate change in Tanzania. He further noted that he is pleased to see corporates and NGO’s partnering to work towards achieving SDG 13 on climate Action.
“With 80% of the population dependent on environmental and natural resources for income generation, the protection of natural resources becomes a critical success factor in our nation’s planned economic development. The government has put in place concerted efforts to address the effects of climate change in Tanzania and ensure that communities adapt to climate change thus we applaud this partnership and encourage more”
The Deputy Permanent Secretary added that the government plans to plant 280 million trees every year to support the national tree planting and management initiatives of making the country green.
On her part, Vodacom Tanzania Foundation Managing Director, Rosalynn Mworia said they are excited about the new project which is a result of the Foundation’s new strategic plan 2019/21.  Advocating for the promotion of climate action for a sustainable environment is one of the foundations pillars in the new strategy.
“As a purpose led organization our vision is to connect for better meaning through our work, we hope to create a digital society, focusing on social inclusion and working for the planet by halving our environmental impact. This project aims to green Dodoma but also we hope for increased number of climate action/climate smart activities as a result of awareness and social mobilization ,” said Ms Mworia.
Speaking on the partnership, WWF Tanzania Country Director, Dr. Amani Ngusaru said the fund will be directed towards supporting the government’s efforts toward Greening Dodoma’ that expects to plant 100,000 trees in the first year and create 3 gardens in the country’s capital city as well as increase awareness and social mobilization for eco-friendly programs through training women & youth groups on the production and use of alternative to plastic bags carriers and waste management as  economic empowerment activities.
“We are committed to developing meaningful and sustainable projects addressing environmental and social challenges in Tanzania. We thank Vodacom Tanzania Foundation for extending a helping hand in achieving our initiatives. The effects of climate change are visible across the country, hence restoration of ecosystems and natural resources protection  is critical in the mitigation of the devastating impacts  on livelihoods and effective execution of this project will be a major milestone in tackling these challenges” added Dr. Ngusaru.
The project dubbed “living in harmony with nature” kicks off in September, 2019 in Dodoma and will be implemented in collaboration with the Vice president’s Office (union and environment), The Dodoma City Council and Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS)