The work’s history starts back in 1996 when our family decided to start planting trees to preserve the local environment. Our mother, Gladness (pictured right, at centre), filled the plastic bags with soil whilst my young brother and I collected the germinating seeds from the forest after school hours. The same year the US Ambassador, J Brand Anderson, visited our project and planted one avocado tree. Today we are harvesting his fruits. We managed to plant trees in many places on the hills, and at schools such as Oldadai and Akheri Secondary Schools, at West Meru Hospital, and at several other locations.
In 2004 Green Foundation was formed with seven trustees. The Foundation operates at a grass roots level in the northern part of Tanzania. The following are the leading Green Foundation trustees:
Gladness Pallangyo, Chairperson is a retired primary school teacher. She has been working as a small scale farmer in Tengeru and is a member of the Patandi women’s group. She is also chairperson of the Tanzania Association of Milk Producers in the Arusha and Manyara regions.
Brightson (Lema) Obed, Treasurer is an expert on fauna and flora. He worked with tourism in the northern part of Tanzania for four years, and for the last two years has been coordinating a volunteer programme in Arusha.
‘We will continue to strive to bring changes to our environment and the community. By each making small sacrifices we ourselves, working hand in hand, can be the source of these changes’
