TANZANIA, Chumbe Island - May 2009
Improving quality of education and safety for Zanzibari school children during field trips to Chumbe Island Coral Park through purchase of high quality life jackets, reef shoes and snorkelling equipment in support of continued and sustainable protection of the park
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Coral reefs around Zanzibar are under serious threats from overfishing, destructive fishing practices, pollution and sedimentation. Chumbe Island Coral Park (CHICOP) is a financially self-sustaining conservation initiative in Zanzibar/Tanzania that has established and manages the first private marine park in the world. There is an urgent need to create public awareness for sustainable management of these precious resources which formal education does not adequately cover. In close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Zanzibari schools, CHICOP has offered one-day school excursions to Chumbe Island since 1994. The excursions have provided hands-on environmental education for schoolchildren, and at the same time given teachers ideas for conducting field-based environmental education. In 2006 an in-school, pre-excursion study program was added to prepare students thoroughly for their trip as well as the Chumbe Challenge Environment Award in 2007 involving 15 schools. In recent years, the program has expanded tremendously increasing the wear and tear on equipment bought in 2006. CHICOP is seeking funding to help improve the quality of education and safety for Zanzibari school children during field trips to CHICOP through the purchase of high quality life jackets, reef shoes and snorkelling equipment in support of continued and sustainable protection of the world's first private marine park on Chumbe Island, Tanzania.
UPDATE December 2009 - The purchase of materials started in May 2009 and is planned to continue for six to eight months. A new addition to the Chumbe Environmental Education Program includes a one year course in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). As part of the course, the participants will develop a new rich and broad teaching aid for the park rangers, based on modern ESD ideas. This teaching aid will enhance the rangers' capabilities to provide the local communities, as well as the visitors to Chumbe, with knowledge for more sustainable livelihoods and resource use. As of December 2009 the park has bought masks and snorkels of high quality that are functioning properly among the students. Plans for the rest of 2009 and early 2010 include purchasing and improving the first aid box, purchasing additional reef shoes and the submission of a final report to Seacology.
