Poland in Tanzania

Situated between the Udzungwa Mountains National Park and the Nyerere National Park, the Kilombero Valley is densely populated and extremely fertile. At the same time the area is of great importance to the ecological well-being of southern Tanzania. The region contains important migration corridors for elephants; they connect both ecosystems. The African elephant is a species with a large range of occurrence, and due to its migratory behavior, it frequently moves around areas inhabited by humans, often destroying crops valuable for farmers. That results in economic losses and a decrease in food security among local communities. Conflicts between humans and elephants threaten elephant populations through retaliatory killings and even an increased tolerance for poaching.

In 2022, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Dar es Salaam continued to support STEP activities aimed at ensuring a peaceful coexistence of humans and elephants in the Kilombero Valley. Above all, educational activities were continued. The educational program addressed to young people from local schools has been extended by a new content on the coexistence of humans and elephants. The program of visiting the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, addressed this year to 40 students, was also intended to broaden knowledge and build bonds between young people and the natural environment. Training on human-elephant coexistence was also provided to local farmers. The aim of the activities supported by Polish Aid is to ensure a long-term recovery of this globally important elephant population, while improving the safety, well-being and livelihoods of local communities. Therefore, as one of the methods of protecting farmland against elephants, supported by our Embassy, is the creation of fences using the beehives, in 2022 our assistance also focused on supporting the development of beekeeping as a source of income for local farmers. In addition, we continued to support efforts to increase the entrepreneurship of the local population by developing the capacity of the Village and Savings Loan Associations (VSLA). Trainings focused on developing financial skills and budgeting trainings were conducted. More than half of the beneficiaries of these trainings were women. This year, new fences were also built to prevent elephants from encroaching on farmland in order to reduce damage to agricultural crops. This time, fences consisting of beehives and metal strips that make a noise scaring away elephants were built.

As part of monitoring the projects currently implemented by the Embassy, Ambassador Krzysztof Buzalski also visited the Usandawe area in central Tanzania, which is particularly rich in rock art. The paintings were created by the ancestors of today’s inhabitants of the region - the Sandawe. Thanks to the involvement of a Polish archaeologist, Maciej Grzelczyk, and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Dar es Salaam, at the end of 2021, a project under Polish Aid was completed, which involved the activation and support of the inhabitants of the Usandawe area in order to protect the rock art and cultural heritage of the above-mentioned people.

Ambassador Krzysztof Buzalski also had an opportunity to meet children from Tungi and the Morogoro area in the eastern part of the country, who are already using the basketball court built thanks to funds from Polish Aid in a Franciscan Educational and Sports Center. The region is inhabited by numerous young people who grow up in difficult conditions, often in dysfunctional families. Due to high unemployment in the region, there is a relatively high number of thefts or robberies. Poor infrastructure does not allow young people to engage in educational and recreational activities. The project implemented in 2022 therefore aimed at supporting the development of local youth and building their better future.