Eco & Culture is a locally registered NGO under the Zanzibar societies act number……
The aim of the NGO is to foster environmental and cultural friendly development in the area of income generation through micro enterprises development. Currently it is undertaking a project called "Social and sustainable economic development in Zanzibar" this project is aimed to increase micro entrepreneurship development serving
the tourism factor.
The NGO has Village Tourism Programme called "Zanzibar Eco & Culture Village Tourism Programme that aims at increasing income for local people in the villages of Zanzibar, hence at the same time promotes environmentally and social friendly tourism activities.
The project hopes to encourage the quality of influx of high class tourists from all over the world to Zanzibar, raising the Government foreign Exchange earnings. The aim is not to raise the number of the tourists only which can be counterproductive in the long run (overflowing the Islands and hence discouraging high class tourists), but to increase quality tourism.
The project also raise income for NGO, since a certain percentage of the income will go directly to support the NGOs programme activities and daily running costs.
PROJECTS.
1. Nungwi
Aquaculture Project – Mnarani Aquarium.
The group of young men and youths established aquarium in 1996, for the purpose of income generation and at the same time protection of the endangered species of sea turtles. Eco and Culture NGO help the local people there in technical skills to run an aquarium and marine biology.
The project had a shortage of proper information materials and other facilities for tourists. The NGO helped in establishing the visitor’s center for tourists and training in the protection of this endangered species, training the guides to take tourists around the aquarium. In this way now the villagers earn their living from the entrance fees they get from the tourists who visit the aquarium.
2. Jambiani.
We have three women groups in Jambiani, Eco & Culture assists them in marketing their handcraft products, the NGO built a shop in Jambiani where these women take their products and sell to the tourists who pass by.
Also in Jambiani the NGO assists villagers in horticultural gardening project, this is a very interesting horticultural method, whereby agricultural and horticultural products are achieved in the very difficult and harsh conditions in the coral rag, plants are growing in soil pockets on the coral stone, we support this group in providing the technical skills, digging of water well and fencing.
3. Makunduchi
Women Producers Group (Fruits and tree planting groups and handcrafts Groups)
All these groups have potential in the area of production and marketability of the produce. Fruits are sold in Jambiani and other villages of the east coast, tree such as Mvinjes still sell very well but agro forest and other trees varieties are to be introduced. The handcrafts have a market in the fast growing tourism sector and the market demands has changed and now is the demands for locally produced higher quality products
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