WiCT Workshop Experience:

From the WiCT Workshop I have gained knowledge and skills on different Conservation Technology Tools which most of them were new to me. Also I was enhanced with Leadership and Mentorship skills which help and open a door for me to my career. From 1^st January to 30^th June 2024, I was given a task of leading a baseline Avifauna project for the first time. The project runs in three Districts Mufindi and Mafinga in Iringa region and Njombe Urban District in Njombe region of the Tanzanian Southern Highlands. As a team leader I manage and still doing great with confidence all thanks to the skills and knowledge I gained from WiCT workshop that I attended few weeks before having this task. 

Citizen Science Training project for youth and community funded by Arm:

Without Data we know nothing; My Citizen Science project is aiming to train youth and community to collecting biodiversity data by using smartphone applications such as eBird, BirdLasser, iNaturalist and Kobo ToolBox. Primary school pupils (as part of youth) will be trained concerns citizen science and environmental conservation. This I believe will inspire and encourage kids from young age to be connected with nature and learn how to conserve and becoming part of it. This Citizen Science project will start on August 2024, all the initial contact to primary schools, groups of youth and community has made. It will be implemented in Iringa region. Pupils will be getting some small prizes as to encourage and appreciate to all of their efforts.

I’m confidence this will increase the number of youth and community participating towards data collection as citizen scientist. Tanzania as a country is huge and having more interesting biodiversity hotsports therefore we need as many as possible citizen scientists. Data collected from this Citizen Science project will be submitted to Birdlife International, iNaturalist, Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), Tanzania Bird Atlas project and eBird. This will help conservationist and decision makers to have more biodiversity data for appropriate conservation efforts. 

I do appreciate the seed grant from Arm which will make my project possible and can’t wait to share more with you all. Thanks to Fauna & Flora International, RISE and Grumeti Fund, Wildlabs.net and my fellow WiCT Tanzania cohort 2023.