On Tuesday, 4th June, a mangrove planting exercise collaborating with the Zanzibar Blue Economy Ministry and the 2024 1st Knowledge Sharing Seminar took place in the Tumbe district of Pemba, Zanzibar. It was an event to celebrate “Environment Day” (June 5th) with the theme of this year, “Land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.” The event was joined by Mgeni Khatib Yahya, a District Commissioner of Micheweni, Mr. Salim Moh’d Hamza, Head of the Zanzibar Blue Economy Ministry’s Pemba district, Zanzibar Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 4 officer workers including Mr. Manshik Shin, our country director, three KOAT members, and residents.

It included efforts to maintain a sustainable marine environment through planting a total of 10,000 mangrove trees. In particular, Mr. Shin presented that each mangrove seed contains a commitment to a better future, and the KOICA Tanzania Office is putting a lot of effort into preserving the environment and adapting to climate change.

Furthermore, after the mangrove planting exercise, a “Knowledge Sharing Seminar” was held in Tumbe Market for local environmental stakeholders. The presentation and Q&A session were conducted by two KOICA Master Degree Scholarship beneficiaries. Through the presentation by Aisha Khamis Juma (majoring in fisheries science) and Idris Hassan Abdullah (majoring in climate-smart agriculture), many were able to learn the meaning and importance of preserving the marine environment through seaweed farming and mangroves. 👍

In particular, some of the employees of the Zanzibar Blue Economy Ministry, including the presenter Ms. Aisha, attended the invitation training for “Zanzibar Marine Multi-species Hatchery Center on Production on Sea Cucumber, Mud Crab, Milkfish and Alive Feed Production in Tanzania” and received training in Korea for two weeks in May. Introducing the invitation training course was also an opportunity to inform the continuity and effectiveness of KOICA’s Global Fellowship Program, named CIAT(Capacity Improvement & Advancement for Tomorrow). ✨

To sum up, through this activity, the KOICA Tanzania office made efforts to preserve the marine environment in cooperation with the Zanzibar Blue Economy Ministry. About 100 residents were able to acquire related knowledge through the presentation of KOICA trainees in the environmental field. As mangrove seeds planted along the Tumbe coastline take root and have a positive impact on the marine environment, further training experiences in Korea, which have been spread through knowledge-sharing events, will also have a positive impact on local communities. KOICA Tanzania office will continue to strive to deal with climate change and environmental problems.