ECHO East Africa Impact Center

17/04/2026

🤝Dear Friends,
We are pleased to welcome you to ECHO’s Symposium on Sustainable Agriculture and Appropriate Technology which will be held in Ethiopia, 23rd-26th June. We will appreciate your participation and presentation.
👉Please see the details below and kindly share with your networks.
https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/ea3e77f2-84cb-4d5c-a5af-9771e3f33389

15/04/2026

*Healthy Soil, Healthy Food, Healthy Communities*
This year’s Arusha Collaborators Forum on Agroecology (ACAF) brought together passionate voices around a powerful truth: sustainable food systems begin with healthy soil.

Participants shared valuable knowledge and practical techniques to ensure that food is grown in safe, and sustainable environments.

💡 *Key takeaways:*

* Soil should be covered to protect and nourish it.
* Healthy soil produces healthy food.
* Soil needs to be fed and recharged to sustain vital microbes.
* Everyone has a role to play in caring for our soil.

15/04/2026

📍Only 2 days away!!
⏰ Don’t miss out!
Applications for the next Agrochamps intake close on 17th April 2026. Apply now or share this opportunity with your network before the deadline.

📣📣 Applications for the next cohort of AgroChamps open today!

We have been receiving many questions about the next AgroChamp cohort. The wait is finally over!

📢 We are excited to announce that the next group of graduates will begin on May 15.

This opportunity is open to graduates in:

♦Agriculture

♦Forestry

♦Environmental Science

♦Community Development

♦And related fields

💡 The AgroChamp Program equips young professionals with practical, hands-on experience in agroecology and sustainable agriculture, preparing them to become impactful practitioners in the field.

Share this opportunity with your networks, colleagues, and institutions.

31/03/2026

🌾ECHO East Africa recently had the opportunity to visit our partner Saint Joseph Sustainable (SJS) Organic Farm in Kwanyange, Kilimanjaro. SJS use a One Acre Model demonstrating that farmers can produce enough from just one acre of land to sustain their families. We exchanged ideas in sustainable agriculture and mixed farming practices; From soil health management to integrating crops and livestock.

Key concepts such as the 4Fs (Forest, Food, Fruits, and Fodder), simple production technologies, and on using rice husks were covered. Our partners demonstrated how farming can be both productive and environmentally sustainable.

ECHO EA works with partners to co-create knowledge products that are disseminated to our communities as part of our agroecology initiatives.

27/03/2026

More than 100 indigenous tree species identified, with over 1,300 beneficiaries reached through the Tanzania Forest Services Agency.

Tanzania has made significant progress in environmental restoration following the completion of a two-year project implemented by the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) in collaboration with Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and other partners.

The project enabled the identification of more than 100 indigenous tree species and reached over 1,300 beneficiaries. It aimed to increase the availability and use of quality seeds for restoring degraded forests and enhancing biodiversity.

With funding from the UK’s Darwin Initiative, experts developed propagation guidelines for at least 30 priority species an important step expected to ease tree planting and environmental restoration efforts across the country.

Speaking during the project’s closing workshop, Dr. Hamza Katety noted that the project has strengthened technical capacity across the seed value chain, from collection to germination, and laid a foundation for the availability of quality seeds to address climate change challenges.

On his part, Fandey Mashimba highlighted that the project outcomes are already being integrated into policy improvements, including the development of regulations for tree seed management to promote the use of indigenous species.

The project was implemented in partnership with TTGAU, Migombani Botanical Garden in Zanzibar, and ECHO Impact East Africa, and also involved scientific research that contributed to improved national data and environmental restoration planning.

Overall, the project has established a strong foundation for seed production, increased technical expertise, and the use of indigenous trees efforts that will drive forest restoration and environmental conservation in Tanzania.
Botanic Gardens Conservation International

26/03/2026

🤝🎉🤝🎉 Annual gathering!!!
ECHO East Africa was honored to participate as a strategic partner in the Mennonite Central Committee Annual Gathering held in March 2026 in Nairobi.

The event brought together partners to explore key topics including gender mainstreaming, VSLAs and livelihoods, safeguarding, conflict analysis, monitoring and evaluation, conflict sensitivity and “Do No Harm,” AI policy development, and self-care and burnout. Each discussion highlighted how these areas influence the success or failure of development projects.

We are grateful for this valuable opportunity to learn, share best practices, and strengthen collaboration. As ECHO EA, we left with renewed insights on how to improve our work and create greater impact in the communities we serve.

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25/03/2026

Je wajua? Zaidi ya spishi 100 za miti ya asili zatambuliwa, huku watu 1,300 wakinufaika na mradi wa Tanzania Forest Services Agency!

Tanzania imepiga hatua katika juhudi za kurejesha uoto wa asili baada ya kukamilika kwa mradi uliowezesha kutambuliwa kwa zaidi ya spishi 100 za miti ya asili na kuwafikia wanufaika zaidi ya 1,300 nchini.

Mradi huo wa miaka miwili uliotekelezwa na Wakala wa Huduma za Misitu Tanzania (TFS) kwa kushirikiana na Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) na wadau wengine, ulilenga kuongeza upatikanaji na matumizi ya mbegu za miti ya asili kwa ajili ya kurejesha misitu iliyoharibiwa na kuimarisha bioanuwai.

Kupitia mradi huo uliofadhiliwa na Darwin Initiative ya Uingereza, wataalamu waliandaa pia miongozo ya uzalishaji kwa angalau spishi 30 za kipaumbele, hatua inayotarajiwa kurahisisha upandaji na urejeshaji wa mazingira katika maeneo mbalimbali ya nchi.

Akizungumza katika warsha ya kuhitimisha mradi huo iliyofanyika Dodoma, Machi 2026, Naibu Kamishna wa Uhifadhi na Kaimu Mkurugenzi wa Uzalishaji wa Mbegu za Miti TFS, Dkt. Hamza Katety, alisema mradi umeongeza uwezo wa kitaalamu kwa watumishi na wadau wa sekta ya misitu, hususan katika mnyororo wa thamani wa mbegu kuanzia ukusanyaji hadi uoteshaji.

“Mbali na kuwafikia zaidi ya wanufaika 1,300, mradi umejenga msingi imara wa kuhakikisha upatikanaji wa mbegu bora za miti ya asili kwa ajili ya urejeshaji wa misitu na kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya tabianchi,” alisema.

Kwa upande wake, Mratibu wa mradi huo, Kamishna Msaidizi Mwandamizi wa Uhifadhi na Meneja wa Baiolojia ya Mbegu za Miti kutoka TFS, Fandey Mashimba, alisema matokeo ya mradi tayari yanaanza kuingizwa katika maboresho ya sera, ikiwemo mchakato wa kuandaa kanuni za usimamizi wa mbegu za miti ili kuongeza matumizi ya spishi za asili.

Mradi huo ulitekelezwa kwa ushirikiano na Tanzania Tree Growers Association Union (TTGAU), Bustani ya Mimea ya Migombani Zanzibar na ECHO Impact East Africa, huku ukihusisha pia tafiti za kisayansi za mimea katika kanda mbalimbali za kiikolojia zilizosaidia kuboresha takwimu za kitaifa na upangaji wa urejeshaji wa mazingira.

Naye Meneja wa Uhifadhi wa BGCI Kanda ya Afrika, Roniance Adhiambo, alisema ushirikiano huo una mchango mkubwa katika kufikia malengo ya kimataifa ya urejeshaji wa ardhi, ikiwemo mpango wa AFR100, huku akisisitiza umuhimu wa kuendeleza uwekezaji katika spishi za miti ya asili.

Mradi huo unatarajiwa kuacha urithi wa mifumo imara ya uzalishaji wa mbegu, ongezeko la utaalamu na matumizi mapana ya miti ya asili, hatua itakayosaidia kuharakisha juhudi za kurejesha misitu na kulinda mazingira nchini.

19/03/2026

📣📣 Applications for the next cohort of AgroChamps open today!

We have been receiving many questions about the next AgroChamp cohort. The wait is finally over!

📢 We are excited to announce that the next group of graduates will begin on May 15.

This opportunity is open to graduates in:

♦Agriculture

♦Forestry

♦Environmental Science

♦Community Development

♦And related fields

💡 The AgroChamp Program equips young professionals with practical, hands-on experience in agroecology and sustainable agriculture, preparing them to become impactful practitioners in the field.

Share this opportunity with your networks, colleagues, and institutions.

12/03/2026

🎼ECHO EA trains journalists in Agroecology.
A two-day Agroecology training workshop brought together journalists from various Radio and TV outlets to learn about sustainable farming practices and the work of ECHO East Africa.
Participants were introduced to Agroecology as a proven system of agriculture. We also explored key agroecology approaches such as organic farming, bio-intensive agriculture, Integrated pest management, water harvesting, intercropping, tree planting, and cover crops. Journalists got the opportunity to tour our seed bank, biogas system, and food drying technologies. We crowned the training with visits to farmers applying agroecology practices.
We look forward to continued collaboration with the media to share agroecology stories and reach more smallholder farmers with sustainable farming knowledge.

12/03/2026

Waandishi wa habari wana mchango mkubwa katika kuripoti taarifa za kilimo ikolojia.

ECHO East Africa iliandaa warsha ya siku mbili kwa waandishi wa habari kutoka vyombo mbalimbali vya habari ikiwemo redio, televisheni, na magazeti mkoani Arusha na kuwapatia mafunzo ya kilimo ikolojia.

Soma zaidi: 👉https://www.michuzi.co.tz/2026/03/waandishi-wa-habari-arusha-wapatiwa.html

09/03/2026

The “Give to Gain” theme for was beautifully reflected by the ECHO team as we visited the local community at Engorora Church. We distributed a variety of tree seedlings and provided environmental education to encourage sustainable living.

We also enjoyed a wonderful lunch featuring chaya, a nutritious and perennial vegetable that supports healthy communities.

It was truly a blessing to meet a community that is ready and eager to learn. We hope the trees planted today will grow to be a lasting blessing for both the environment and our health.