| Uzi Island: |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
Jatropha Pellets:
|
 |
| |
 |
| |
Social Reality Tour:
|
 |
| |
 |
| |
| Pantomime Jodhpur: |
 |
| |
 |
| |
Urafiki Cup:
|
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
|
|
World Unite! development projects
Besides placing volunteers and interns into existing organisations and offering services around their stay abroad, we are increasingly getting involved into running our own development projects.
The goal of these projects is to develop communities through innovative ways of income generation for the local population and to fund social and environmental programs.
Internships and volunteer placements are possible with these projects. Our local volunteer coordinators are at the same time project managers of these projects, giving them the possibility to work close with our participants. If you are volunteering or doing an internship with another organizations, you are still always welcome to participate in our local projects - just let us know.
Zanzibar - Uzi Island environmental conservation and development work
Started as a marine turtle conservation project, our activities in Uzi Island, a remote and conservative island in the south of Zanzibar, now include environmental education activities and income generating programs for the local population, with a focus on eco-tourism.
In Uzi we have modified a lagoon to an education centre about coastal ecology. Marine turtles can be seen, but more so, the idea is that locals and tourists alike can learn about topics including sustainable and unsustainable fishing practices, coastal eco systems, man & nature, the importance of conservation, marine turtles, seaweed, mangroves and coastal waterfowl.
Related topics are being communicated by our volunteers at Uzi kindergarten and Uzi school. Income is being generated through cultural tourism and ecotourism, which is being used for village development and our conservation work.
In the future, we want to implement further projects of environmentally-friendly income generation in Uzi.
Read more about this project.
Volunteering/internship Uzi tourism development.
Zanzibar - Natural cosmetics for hotels and day spas
Zanzibar and Pemba have been famous for centuries for their spices such as cloves, from which essential oils can be made. The Indian Ocean offers a variety of raw materials for thalassotherapy including sea salt and seaweed. A growing number of hotels is following the trend of wellness and spa applications.
However, there is only a limited range of locally produced natural cosmetics, and mostly they are of low quality.
We are currently developing a range of high-quality natural cosmetic products with Mr. Madawa, a traditional Zanzibar herbalist, and other partners. Within the year 2012 we plan to be able to offer these products to hotel and day spas, and souvenir shops in Zanzibar and Tanzania. The idea is that women's groups and other local initiatives can make an alternative income through processing the products' natural ingredients.
Moshi/Tanzania - Environmentally-friendy cooking and promotion of Jatropha
The unsustainable cutting of trees for charcoal-making and firewood is a large problem in Tanzania. In Moshi we are cooperating with NGOs to buy pellets and briquettes that are made from the leftovers of pressing Jatropha oil, sawmill dust and rice husks. It is considerably cheaper to cook using these pellets than charcoal. An average urban family in Tanzania is currently spending around 45,000 Shilling per month for charcoal and firewood. The same amount of energy can be generated with a quantity of pellets that is only 11,000 Shilling when buying from the factory.
As an income-generating activity, women are now selling the pellets in small quantities with a profit margin in their suburbs. We are currently trying to develop a low-cost energy-efficient stove which is optimised for the use of pellets.
From the middle of 2012, biodiesel from Jatropha will be available in Tanzania. Our plan is to promote this biofuel within the tourism industry (safari vehicles).
To be able to use pellets, briquettes and biodiesel made from Jatropha in a bigger scale, it is required to increase the volume of cultivation of the plant. The Jatropha plant needs a lot of water so that the seeds yield a sufficient amount of oil. The lower heights of the slopes of Kilimanjaro, where there are many springs, streams and a lot of rainfall are very suitable for growing Jatropha.
Our goal is to increase the volume of Jatropha cultivation at Kilimanjaro. Jatropha should not replace any edible plants, but should be planted as hedges, for which currently plants that don't have any agricultural yield are being used. This will allow farmers to generate additional income through the sales of Jatropha seeds for the oil and pellet production.
Read more about this project.
Moshi/Tanzania - Social Reality Tour
With a social worker, tourists are visiting HIV/AIDS patients in poor areas of Moshi and can get an insight into the social reality of Tanzania. They are paying 10 USD per head which are only used to support the families and individuals they visit. In this way, visitors contribute to the continuation of the social outreach program of the NGO "KIWAKKUKI" (Kilimanjaro Women Against AIDS).
Volunteers and interns can help us to develop further ways how the supported individuals can generate income, e.g. by making and selling souvenirs to visitors. We are planning to sell these products at a souvenir shop in Moshi town.
Read more about Social Reality Tour
Video about Social Reality Tour
Internship/volunteering Social Reality Tour
Jodhpur, India - Pantomime performances of women for tourists
In Jodhpur/Rajasthan, the Sambhali Trust women's group has learned from volunteer drama teachers how to play pantomime. The women are mostly casteless, which makes them be at the very bottom of the Indian social hierarchy. To be standing on a stage and realising that someone is interested in them, motivates these women and gives them self-confidence.
Our current project aims at giving these women the possibility to perform their pantomime regularly for tourists at historic sites of Jodhpur. Jodphur is a famous Rajasthan royal city and tourism centre.
This will allow the women to generate regular income. Tourist can enjoy the cultural entertainment and support a good cause.
Volunteering drama and tourism developement with this project
Tanzania - Urafiki Cup
The first two Urafiki Cups had been started by our committed volunteers - in Zanzibar and in Moshi/Kilimanjaro. We will from now on continue these successful events at both locations at least once per year.
Urafiki Cup is a football (soccer) tournament with teams from various local youth centres and orphanages. Additionally, there is a show program that our volunteers of the various centres prepare with children and youth, including acrobatics, dancing, singing etc.
Photos Urafiki Cup Zanzibar 2011
Photos Urafiki Cup Moshi 2011
Go!Local
We regularly received inquiries from Tanzanians who wanted to volunteer in Tanzania, from Indien who wanted to do the same in India etc.
The reason is that in many countries there are no directories or centralised agencies for domestic volunteering. Through Go!Local we are providing our knowledge about the activities of local NGOs for free to individuals who want to volunteer in their own countries.
We are currently working on a page about Go!Local.
World Unite! Resource Centre
Our participants and their NGOs are permanently producing a large amount of reports, dissertations, data sets etc. The idea of the World Unite! Resource Centre is to provide this information through our website to everyone who is interested, breaking borders between the various NGOs and countries in order to facilitate a more productive work.
The Resource Centre will be online soon.
|
