Community Art Space buildings in Ololosokwan. Photo credit: Yannick Ndoinyo

TEST is strongly committed to improving the livelihoods of indigenous peoples in Tanzania. There are three key focus areas within TEST’s Indigenous Livelihoods Program.

1. Preserving indigenous culture and livelihoods

In partnership with the Global Greengrants Fund, TEST created a documentary to showcase the best practices of the Maasai people that contribute significantly to ecological and cultural resilience. The documentary features interviews with elders, women, and youth living in Mairouwa village in Longido district. The video documentary is available here.

Leather and beading products made at the Community Art Space workshop. Photo credit: Yannick Ndoinyo

2. Community Art Space

The Community Art Space (CAS) in Ololosokwan was opened in 2016. It provides a platform to enhance social interaction and engagement and facilitate economic revitalization. The CAS is a social enterprise that combines two vital elements of community development – income generating activities and capacity building. Youth and women come together to learn skills and diversify economies. TEST is supporting this project in its initial stages of growth because it is well aligned with TEST’s mission to support youth as well as gender equity and inclusion in vulnerable communities.

3. Indigenous cultural exchange

Tanzania has an ecosystem of indigenous and local cultures that provides both community and ecological resilience. This ecosystem thrives when cultures connect and learn from each other to create mutually sustaining cultural and natural ecosystems for people and wildlife. TEST will facilitate targeted cultural exchange programmes with and among diverse cultural groups in Tanzania, and enhance learning across diverse communities in Tanzania and beyond.

Indigenous Livelihoods Project

• Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge