MWANA TUNZA MTAA

Mwana Tunza Mtaa is a youth-driven environmental initiative launched by the Yapende

Mazingira Foundation (YMF) on June 4, 2025, in celebration of International

Environment Day, with support from Global Platform and ActionAid Tanzania. The

project localizes environmental conservation by actively engaging street youth and local

communities across Tanzania, taking climate action out of the boardroom and into the

neighborhoods (mitaa) where people live.

The core aim is to foster environmental stewardship, promote climate action, and

empower grassroots actors to become agents of sustainable change within their own

communities.

Key Objectives

 Raise awareness on environmental and climate issues at the local level

 Empower youth and community members as eco-leaders

 Promote behavior change and civic responsibility in urban settings

 Strengthen community-based climate knowledge and action

Key activities of the program include

1. Tunza Mtaa Talk & Green Story Digital Campaigns

Street-level dialogues with residents in Dar es Salaam neighborhoods spreading eco-

friendly messages, paired with short videos and photos of everyday environmental

action shared across WhatsApp, TikTok, and Facebook

2. Eco Quiz Battle

A lively, competitive Q&A format, question cards played out between two teams.

engaging 250 participants across seven sessions at schools, universities, and street

locations, making environmental learning fun as well as informative.

3. School Visits & Youth Eco-Leaders Training Circles

Eco-awareness sessions, environmental clubs, and hands-on activities like cleanups

and tree planting in 10 schools across Sengerema and Mwanza, and Babati, Manyara,

targeting 2000 students and training young people to lead environmental initiatives in

their own communities.

4. Social Media Awareness & Media Tours

An ongoing campaign using podcasts, short documentaries, comedy skits, and creative

talks to spread environmental awareness targeting 100,000 people across social media

platforms.

5. Plogging and Exhibition

Street jogging clubs, public figures, and youth combine exercise with community

service, picking up litter as they jog through two municipal councils in Dar es Salaam.

Collected plastics are sent for recycling and the resulting products are exhibited on

International Environment Day, with the added goal of pushing city authorities to install

public dustbins at bus stations.

Where We Are Now

Implementation is already underway. YMF has launched the campaign and is actively

rolling out activities on the ground, from street-level dialogues to school-based training

Join the Movement

Be part of the change. Let’s raise a generation of youth who own their space, protect

their environment and lead the future.

Follow the journey and spread the message with #MwanaTunzaKitaa