Kilimani Primary School tree planting

Hamjambo!

We are nutrition and dietician students working as volunteers for Meditrip Tanzania. This is a volunteer organization based in Arusha, Tanzania which aims to create opportunities for collaboration to address areas of mutual concern within the medical community.

As nutritionists, we are active at public schools in and around Arusha where we provide education on nutrition and sports. The children who attend these schools come from poor families, many of which can only afford one meal a day which is shared by the whole family. We dream of giving additional food to these children by providing them with something to eat at school. Whilst this is a huge issue to address, we feel that we can make a difference to some of the children we have been working with by planting several fruit trees on the school grounds of Kilimani primary school. This is a small public school located in Usariver, a suburb of Arusha.

Planting fruit trees will provide a sustainable food source for children at the school, which can be maintained by the children and school staff themselves. We plan to plant trees which have complementary harvest seasons, ensuring that the children are provided with fruit all year round. In addition, we are planting trees which bear fruits with high nutritional value, such as avocados and bananas, and so, in this way, will enrich the diets of the school children. Furthermore, we hope that by including the children in the process of planting and maintaining these trees, they will be educated about the origin of nutritional food which will continue to help them after they leave education. Finally, these trees also provide shade for the children in their playground that can be used on hot days.

Whilst we are currently only able to plant trees at one school, if this project is successful, we aim to expand to additional schools within the community through future Meditrip Tanzania volunteers. However, to complete the initial project we will need to purchase the trees, as well as supplies for planting and maintaining the seeds. This is what we are now fundraising to achieve. Any donation great or small that you can provide will be greatly appreciated by both ourselves and the local community.

Thank you on behalf of the entire team and all the children of Kilimani primary school.