From Dust to Green
Our ambition is simple but transformative: to turn a barren school environment into a thriving green space for learning, inspired by our hands-on climate projects.
At Mtakuja B Secondary School in Lower Moshi, about 20 km southeast of the Moshi Municipality, Greenmanjaro and FTK bring together all aspects of our climate-care projects to create a model Green School, combining our 4 core pillars: the Kili Lighthouse Educational Programme, tree planting, plastic recycling and veggie gardens with solar energy and eco-cooking. We aim to show what can be achieved when environmental education and practical climate solutions come together under one roof.
A School built on barren grounds
Matakuja B Secondary School is surrounded by little green vegetation. Today, around 400 pupils attend the school, yet there are almost no trees to provide shade from the intense Kilimanjaro sun. The children have few comfortable, shaded outdoor spaces in which to meet, learn or play sports.
The school kitchen presents another challenge. A severely dilapidated shed currently serves as the cooking area, with just one cooking pot for approximately 400 pupils. A new kitchen is an additional project for the Green Corridors, pending new funding.
Extending the Green Corridor
Together with our partner FTK, Greenmanjaro aims to create a Green Corridor connecting the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro to Mtakuja and the communities of Lower Moshi.
Tree experts have carefully analysed the school's soil and identified tree species that can thrive in its particularly dry conditions. Goats and wild livestock also have to be taken into consideration, and trees selected so that the animals do not eat them! These trees will create much-needed shade, improve soil health, increase biodiversity, and gradually transform the school grounds into a cooler, greener environment. By selecting species according to local conditions, we aim to give every tree the best possible chance of surviving and flourishing.
Growing Food and Knowledge
An area for a new school veggie garden has been identified, and plans have been drawn up. The garden will allow students to learn hands-on about growing veggies, soil care, water management and sustainable agriculture. Planting, nurturing and harvesting are part of the learning process.
The Kili Green Club: Learning to Adapt to Climate Change
A new after-school Kili Green Club has been established at Mtakuja B.
Through Greenmanjaro's Kili Lighthouse Educational Programme, students learn about climate change using our educational book, The Future is in Our Hands, combined with practical environmental projects in their own school. They learn why our climate is changing, and what they can personally do to protect their environment and help their communities adapt.
Recycling Plastic Waste
Our table-top plastic recycling machines have now arrived at the school.
Students learn how discarded plastic can be collected, processed and transformed into new, sustainable products. The project introduces students to the principles of recycling and the circular economy while demonstrating that something seen as waste can become a valuable resource. It is practical education with an immediate connection to the environmental challenges they see around them every day.
Cleaner Energy and Eco-Cooking
The next stages of the project include the installation of solar panels and eco-cooking solutions, helping the school move towards cleaner, more sustainable energy.
For Matakuja, improved cooking facilities are essential. Replacing the current inadequate cooking environment with cleaner, more efficient solutions will improve conditions for the school while demonstrating how alternative energy can reduce dependence on traditional fuels.
Sharing the Story of the Green Corridors
The transformation of Matakuja is an educational story we aim to share within the Kilimanjaro region and beyond.
Thanks to our sponsors, Jigar Ginatra of Afrisos has begun filming The Story of the Green Corridors. This educational documentary follows the development of our climate care projects in the Kilimanjaro region and highlights the Green Corridor project. The documentary will show the challenges, solutions and lessons learned along the way. Most importantly, it aims to inspire other schools, local organisations, communities and international sponsors to help build more green schools.
A Model for the Future
Our vision is for Matakuja B Secondary School to demonstrate how relatively simple, interconnected climate solutions can completely transform a school environment.
Trees for shade.
Gardens for food and learning.
Recycling for cleaner communities.
Education for lasting change.
Solar energy and eco-cooking for a more sustainable future.
By bringing these solutions together, we can create schools that are greener, healthier and better prepared for a changing climate.
