Funding eco education

Project goal: Protecting the environment by promoting projects that involve working with local residents, providing environmental education and scholarships for school children. It’s all financed through eco-tourism.

Size: 16 employees and a changing number of volunteers. The aim is to support 11,000 students by 2020

Volume: 45,000 Euros each year for training and scholarships

Natural significance: Mida Creek is considered the most important breeding ground and resting place for African water birds

The Mida Creek tidal inlet in the Indian Ocean is a paradise for birds. The interplay of high and low tide provides the perfect habitat for pelicans and flamingos. The lagoon stretches several kilometers long into mangrove forests. The high tide washes in crabs and snails into the lagoon, providing fresh food for the 200 endemic bird species in the region. For generations, the indigenous Giriama people have been fishing here and have adapted their techniques to the tides. But their population is growing and raising pressure on the precious ecosystem, resulting in overfishing and deforestation. The environmental organization "A Rocha" is trying to promote eco-tourism to help tackle the problems. They are using the money that tourists and birdwatchers bring in order to fund a school to train talented children. The students too are learning to protect the fragile environment during research trips to the mudflats in the region.

A film by Joanna Gottschalk