Chumbe Island: Creating a Sustainable Future Through Environmental Education
At Chumbe, we are devoted to creating a better future by providing environmental education (EE) and inspiring people in Zanzibar and beyond. We believe that the conservation of our natural resources is only possible through educating people about the importance of protecting them for future generations. Your visit helps us fund the following core EE activities:
EE Schools Programme
Operational since 1996, this is the only regular and large-scale environmental education programme in Tanzania that provides hands-on experience in the field. CHICOP fully funds activities including full-day excursions to Chumbe Island, where school children and accompanying teachers learn about marine and forest ecology, sustainable coastal management and ecotourism. These excursions are supported by classroom-based pre- and post-visit teaching activities in schools by the Chumbe Team. Chumbe also runs an annual ‘Chumbe Challenge Award’ with schools and engages in wider school activities
(i.e., teaching, guest lecturing, and other field-based support).
Teacher Training Support
Supporting in-service and trainee teachers, this initiative provides educational resources and methodologies for educating about environmental sustainability issues. CHICOP’s resources and tools are available for trainee teachers for free download.
University & College Education
We offer free-of-charge field excursions for national university and college students and provide associated in-classroom teaching. Chumbe also provides opportunities for tertiary-level students to conduct fieldwork and research on the island. For international study groups, reduced visit rates are available, and study tours are arranged on a case-by-case basis.
Fisher & Community-based Outreach
Troughout the project, outreach-based educational initiatives, communication and awareness raising with target audiences of fishers and resource users have been critical elements of our EE work. This outreach can take many forms, from the engagement of community leaders in Chumbe’s official Advisory Committee to education through art, music and enterprise.
Wider Stakeholder Outreach
This starts with our internal staff community, as many of our employees come from rural fishing communities along the coast of Zanzibar and have limited formal education. We teach about natural resource utilisation, principles of eco-tourism, and the social, economic and cultural importance of resource protection to Zanzibar. Environmental education in this form encourages a sense of ownership and responsibility towards natural
resources among the Chumbe Team. We have observed that this is another important avenue through which information is disseminated to the wider communities.
A broad spectrum of stakeholders, from government personnel and civil servants, to professionals in the tourism industry in Zanzibar and Tanzania, are also supported through sponsored learning trips to the island and outreach activities off-island. This can include Chumbe-sponsored community initiatives, sustainable seafood information stands at markets, radio shows and internationally celebrated environmental events to rally the people of Zanzibar to take action for a healthy and sustainable environment.
Our transparency and reputation for excellence in marine resource management has built trust and enabled Chumbe to support and provide capacity building to local government officials, fisher groups from all over Zanzibar, local NGO’s and other groups interested in marine and coastal environment and education. Since the consequences of climate change have become more evident throughout the region (e.g., increased coastal erosion and changing weather patterns), CHICOP’s stakeholders have also shown a growing interest in learning how to mitigate these impacts.
Environmental Sustainability in Zanzibar
In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, we have incorporated a coral reef module into the local school circula , which was implemented by an 18-month project entitled “Environmental Education and Conservation Expansion in Zanzibar” funded by the EU ReCoMap program in 2010. In consultation with scientists, experts, educators and government this program resulted in a locally developed guidebook called “Environmental Sustainability in Zanzibar” which is available in Kiswahili and English to formal and non-formal educators and learners in Zanzibar and beyond.
Each one – teach one: WASTE in Zanzibar
This waste education booklet has been produced within the framework of the Pro Poor Tourism Project, implemented by ACRA and Changamoto and co-funded by the European Union. The material was revised and developed by Chumbe’s Conservation and Education Manager in 2013, aiming to explore the world of waste that surrounds us and affects our lives and to encourage observation and enquiry into waste-related environmental issues that are meaningful to us.
This booklet is available in English and Kiswahili and may be reproduced entirely or partly for educational and non-profit making uses without prior authorisation, provided the source is mentioned.
We are proud members of Pack for a Purpose, an initiative that allows travellers like you to make a lasting impact in the community at your travel destination. If you save just a few kilos of space in your suitcase and take supplies for the projects we support, you’ll make a priceless impact on the lives of our local children and families. Please visit Pack for a Purpose to see what supplies are needed for our current project(s).
