2023 Forest Garden Farming for People and the Planet in Mwanga district, Tanzania is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. It started immediately on the 2rd of January in two villages. Groups were formed in January, study trip was organised to Singida to see Forest Gardens, nurseries were established in February-March and seedlings outplanted in April-May. Papaya trees and pigeon peas intercropped with maize were the first food crops that diversified food production in April. 18 shallow wells were dug in August-September. Village Community Banking groups started n October, SAT organic agriculture courses attended by all facilitators and group leaders, and vegetable growing started in November. Youth groups started growing fruit tree seedlings. 20 new groups were added in November, with the total number of farmers included at the end of the project being nearly 400.

Our tank and stove building for schools took place only July-December. Three water tanks were built: Kwakihindi primary school, Kawawa primary school, and Kwamavusha primary (the latter includes special needs kids). All tanks were accompanied with handwashers that were placed close to toilets.

2022 Liana collaborates with KIWAKKUKI (Women Against HIV/AIDS in Kilimanjaro):
1. Assisting schools with water tanks, stoves, handwashing places, hygiene info and environmental education

2. Working with vulnerable groups (including PLHAs and households taking care of vulnerable children) in Shirimatunda, Moshi, improving livelihoods and nutrition by growing nutrient rich foods: vegetables, orange-flesh sweet potato, fruits, and improved poultry, and helping the group start Savings and Loans function.

Funding comes from individuals, from Stats4SD, The Pollination project, through Sustainable Global Gardens, and the Student Union of the University of Turku.

2021 Helping schools in Tanzania, in Rombo, Mwanga and Moshi districts:
– To build rainwater harvesting tanks of 30,000 liters
– To build proper stoves
– To acquire handwashing kits
– To start growing tree seedlings for environmental conservation and environmental education

In November 2021 Liana organized environmental education sessions in five schools in the lowlands of Rombo and five schools in Mwanga. Students established a nursery and they learned to protect and take care of self-grown seedlings. We piloted biodegradable fiber seedling bags instead of using plastic bags. More training will be offered in 2022. 

2020  With the help of individual donors and a Stats4SD grant, and together with the local builders of UMAUKI and a partner organisation RECODA, Liana helped 12 schools in Rombo and Mwanga districts in Northern Tanzania. Seven schools obtained a locally built 30,000 litre rainwater harvesting tank that collects water from the school roof, two or three hand washing kits near toilets and education materials for hand hygiene education. Eight schools obtained an improved cooking stove that saves firewood and makes the kitchen smoke free. Recycled water from the hand washing kits is used for growing tree seedlings.
In addition, we supported a community in Yam Makaa in their efforts of restoring an erosion gully that had engulfed a large area of their farmland and continued to grow.

2018 Liana continued to work with schools in Rombo, Tanzania. A group of builders trained in our previous activities take turns in building firewood saving stoves and rainwater harvesting tanks for schools on a cost sharing basis. We also helped a local builder start manufacturing hand washing facilities for schools. We collaborate with LWDO (Land and Water Development Organization). Eleven schools built an improved stove. Two schools built a 30,000 liter water tank. Handwashing kits are designed and built for the first time. Five schools obtained these kits, one for girls’ and one for boys’ toilets and educational materials of hand hygiene. Mterini primary school students planted trees (15 Milicia exelca/Mvule and Trichilia emetica/Mkoromaji). Mawanda Mkei established a tree nursery. Recycled water from hand washing is used for watering the seedlings. 

2017 Liana started working with schools in Rombo district, Tanzania. It first initiated collaboration with Mawanda Mterini primary school. A 30,000 liter rainwater harvesting tank and gutters were built in August. An improved smokeless stove that saves firewood was built in September. By crowdfunding Liana continued helping more schools as follows: Tank and stove at Mawanda Mkei in October-November, stove at Marieni primary in December, double stove in Kaheusseri secondary in December. More schools were visited by Ndanu and over 20 schools by Eija, Ndanu and Maro (of LWDO) later in November.

2016 With membership fees and individual donations Liana continues to support the builder group of nine builders in Mwanga and Moshi rural, assisting them to spread the technology, market their skills and train new builders. In August five builders organised to reach out to new villages and built 10 ‘jug’ rainwater harvesting tanks and trained 10 new builders. Materials were bought by the tank recipient and labour costs were paid by Liana. In December tanks were built for three widows in Mwanga on a cost sharing basis. Recipients were identified by the help of village authorities.

Moshi builders who were originally trained in 2006 received tools worth 100,000 Tsh each as a recognition for their efforts.

2015 Activities by private funding continue in Tanzania with the group of nine tank builders who worked within Liana projects in 2006-2014. Ten new builders have been trained by the fundis while building 15 demonstration jug tanks in new areas for awareness raising of rainwater harvesting, and for marketing the builders’ skills and the new tank type.

2014 Liana continued to train tank builders and through them selected young people in five villages in order to provide skills in building a smaller household water tank of 5000 litres.
Tank builders learned to build a 30,000 litre tank suitable for schools. This demonstration and training tank was built in Mabungo in April 2014.
Liana piloted environmental education through nature clubs in 8 Secondary Schools in Sept-Dec 2014. Each nature club had about 50 members.

2009-2011, and 2012-2013/2014  Improving livelihoods and environment in Mwanga, Tanzania. The project assists 127 families in 15 farmer groups, about 762 persons in total in five villages in Mwanga. Project components were rainwater harvesting from rooftops (each group member obtained a 10,000 litre water tank and gutters); improved stoves to eliminate smoke from kitchens and to save firewood; drip irrigation for kitchen gardens (small-scale vegetable growing); and tree planting for firewood, fruits and environmental conservation. Total budget €181,606 (Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland €114,829; McKnight Foundation €32,000; the rest from self-funding, local contribution and Vantaan Energia in Finland).

Jan 2010 – Oct 2012  Save firewood by improved stoves, Mwanga, Tanzania. Scope: seven villages in Mwanga in the lowlands behind the Pare mountains. Awareness raising meetings on the health hazards of smoky kitchens, environmental degradation of tree cutting for firewood and energy saving smokeless stoves; running training courses in seven villages (119 people trained in at least one model); testing five most popular stove models (and publishing an article of it); building 22 energy saving stoves for schools; training 15 women on solar cooking. Total budget €39,660 (Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland €33,720; self-funding €2970).

2006-2011  Improving rural livelihoods by rainwater harvesting in the lowlands of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. The project worked with six farmer groups, this is 43 group members and their families, about 260 people in total. Project components included: Awareness raising meetings in four villages; rainwater harvesting tanks and gutters and training builders; drip irrigated kitchen gardens and horticulture; energy saving stoves for households and schools and builder training; live fences to protect the kitchen gardens; grafting mangos. Total budget US$ 113,500: US$ 92,500 from McKnight Foundation, local contribution from the farmer groups US$ 13,750. 

Oct-Dec 2008 Susanna Mäkelä conducted a review on firewood/energy saving stoves based on documentation available on the Internet. This initially guided us in the selection of models for further testing and introduction. Many more models were tested and adopted to our projects later on.

April – May 2008 Kikapu project, Kapedo basketry workshop for women to create new designs and products for improved marketing and income generation This was a one month activity done with a local CBO (Community based Organisation) KEDA, Kapedo Educational and Development Association. Liana organised a professional textile designer, Erja-Riitta Alander from Finland to come and lead the workshop. She worked on a voluntary basis. 70 women participated. Total budget was 2600 €. Video: Women singing and celebrating after receiving their certificates

In Jan and Feb 2008 Liana assisted an NGO based in Kibera, ‘Drug Fighters and Counseling for the Young Generation’ in their relief work in Kibera slum in Nairobi. Kenya was hit by a serious wave of violence after the disputed elections. Liana is not a relief organisation. However, in this exceptional time, Liana decided to assist according to its abilities. Liana members and supporters donated a total of 2448 euros for this activity. 

Nov 2007 and Jan-March 2008 A Voluntary Consultant, Anthropologist/Psychologist Rachel Stern worked for Liana compiling an adult education package for the marginal drylands of East Africa. Subjects include: Health, hygiene and sanitation, nutrition, environmental education, dryland agricultural methods (incl. water management and conservation agriculture), livestock and rangeland management, irrigation. 

In April 2006 Liana and KEPI (Kenya Environmental and Pastoralist Integrated Development Initiative) assisted 83 women in Olepolos, south of Nairobi, Kenya, in planting over 1200 trees in their homesteads. Donations to Liana in honour of Eija’s and Ric’s wedding paid for this activity. Liana was further able to support KEPI with donation of books on environmental management. Tom Coe donated a used laptop computer to them through Liana.