Our Projects

Women’s health

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Menstrual health is still a taboo although it affects many women and girls in their everyday-life. We want to address this sensitive issue to empower girls and women throughout Zanzibar. Talking to many women in urban and rural areas, we found a need for practical, low-cost methods of menstruation management. 

Our aim is to develop a long-term programme to promote menstrual health through education and the distribution of reusable supplies to women and girls. We want to establish the local production of reusable pads as an affordable and environmental friendly alternative. Our interdisciplinary team is working on educational material to address menstrual management within different age groups and settings.

 

Project Focus

Menstrual Health

Duration

Since 2018

Location

All of Zanzibar

 

MAster the Water

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Zanzibar is a beautiful island surrounded by the Indian Ocean. “Master the Water” encourages people to change perspective and discover their environment. The project from Romania teaches students to explore and enjoy the water through swimming, snorkelling and diving. Aim is to raise awareness of our surrounding nature and the need to protect it. Environmental pollution is a global problem that needs to be tackled by each one of us. 

The programme in Zanzibar is aimed at children aged 12-18 years. Ten schools located near the coast all over Zanzibar were selected to receive hands-on education on environmental issues. With the use of basic snorkelling equipment boys and girls can learn how to master the water. To raise community awareness on environmental issues, we organise public information sessions and beach clean-ups. We additionally got the chance to promote our project on public TV in Zanzibar.

For more information on “Master the water” and the programme in Zanzibar you can get in touch with the project manager Zoe via mail noi@barcaluizoe.ro or on Facebook and Instagram. 

 

Savings Cooperative

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Every business needs seed capital. To support women establish and run their own business, we provide interest-free loans to our NGO members, based on trust. Additionally, we connect people and ideas, offer business advice and teach basic entrepreneurship skills to help people create stable income opportunities through their successful ventures. Long-term, we plan to expand these services to the general community of Zanzibar.

Project Focus

Women Empowerment

Duration

Since 2017

Location

Zanzibar Town

 

Planting Trees

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We started a long-term vegetation programme in 2017 to improve the urban environment in Zanzibar, keeping the city green and healthy. The central aim is to increase indigenous trees in the historical Stone Town, to enhance the surroundings for residents, tourists and numerous street traders.

In cooperation with the Islamic School, a plant nursery was established where seedlings are grown for distribution and cultivation in urban areas as well as agricultural use. Students help to landscape a small park and outdoor study areas within the school grounds. During the course of an event in 2018 in collaboration with The Red Cross, 100 additional trees were planted there.

Project Focus

Reforestation of Urban Zanzibar

Duration

Since 2016

Location

Zanzibar Town

 

EDUCATION

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The Zanzibar Bora Language Centre was founded in 2015 to provide quality education to orphans and children from deprived families. It's aim is to teach not only foreign languages, but to convey general life skills. 40 children, age 6-18, attend our classes which are currently held in English. We support the students with their formal schoolwork and prepare them for exams. Modern methods and materials, like educational short films, are used to discuss social and political topics. This encourages students to form their own ideas and opinions, which helps in building character and self-confidence.

Many things are planned for the immediate future: expanding the offered courses (foreign languages, computer skills, arts and handicraft, entrepreneurship), our own school building, a school bus and setting up a school library.

Project Focus

Children's Education

Duration

Since 2016

Location

Nyerere, Fuoni & Mwera
Zanzibar Town

 

Zanzibar Art

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Local Zanzibari handicraft and arts are significantly influenced by the island's extraordinary history. Traditionally, only natural materials were used to create everything from toothpicks to houses. We work together with craftspeople and artists to fuse traditional manufacturing and modern design for home decorations, jewelry and clothing. The quality of the products is as important as promoting them. To help the production and marketing of products made in Zanzibar, we support craft workers to improve the quality of their merchandise and find potential customers. We further provide workshops for locals and international guests interested in learning to craft by hand — the Zanzibar way.

Project Focus

Income Opportunities for Artisans

Duration

Since 2015

Location

All of Zanzibar

 

Health Promotion

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Many common diseases in Zanzibar are preventable. Initiatives like WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) present effective measures to educate people about the relationship between environmental conditions, their personal behaviour and health effects.

We follow two complementary strategies: specialised training classes for our waste workers in cooperation with the Mnazi Mmoja Hospital and public media campaigns aimed at health education for the general population. Our efforts are met with major interest and concern.

Project Focus

Environment and Health

Duration

Since 2014

Location

Stone Town
Zanzibar Town

 

Waste Management

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The Glitters Volunteer Group was established in 2012 to improve the environmental conditions in the historic city centre. Since then we have been providing daily cleaning in urban areas, including two of the main market places.

The cleaning activities provide employment for unskilled workers, especially youths and women. Our workers are part of the daily struggle to keep the city clean and serve as role models in their community.

From 2014-2016 we conducted research on solid waste management at the household level in urban Zanzibar. Clearly, the situation needed improvement and still does. Here, waste management infrastructure as well as household practices come into play. We work hard to change the structure and behaviour with and by the community.

Marking a milestone in our efforts, the central market in Stone Town was the first public urban area to be equipped with dustbins. This was implemented in cooperation with the Zanzibar government in 2015.

Project Focus

Environmental Cleaning

Duration

Since 2012

Location

Urban Markets
Zanzibar Town