Green Voices

Context

Extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, disproportionately affect women in many parts of the world. In vulnerable and low-income communities, women often face additional challenges during and after these climate events. This is due to a combination of factors, including traditional gender roles, unequal access to resources, and limited decision-making power. Women are frequently responsible for the care of their families and communities, which exposes them to greater risks during natural disasters. Additionally, their lack of access to economic and educational resources hinders their ability to adapt to and recover from climate impacts, highlighting the urgent need to address gender disparities in climate response and mitigation efforts.

Objective

The goal of this project is to increase the climate resilience of rural women in various regions of Tanzania, Kenya, and Ghana. To achieve this, efforts will focus on enhancing ecosystem recovery and diversifying livelihoods through integrated approaches to combat climate change and adaptation methods. Some activities include entrepreneurial initiatives such as beekeeping in Tanzania, growing climate-resistant crops like soybeans and peanuts in Ghana, and tree planting in Kenya.

One of the key innovations we are implementing this year is the “One Health” approach. This interdisciplinary method recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. It acknowledges that human health is closely linked to the health of animals and the environment in which they coexist. We are responsible for maintaining this delicate balance through practices that ensure food security, sustainable agriculture, and awareness of climate change. Food security is defined as having enough food while simultaneously protecting the environment to ensure the sustainability of our food systems.

Green Voices adopts this approach through a “train the trainers” model, empowering women leaders in the community to apply and share the knowledge gained in the training sessions with other women. In Kenya, the project is being implemented in Lunga Lunga, Kwale County; in Tanzania, in Kongwa, Kitanga-Kisarawe, and Kauzeni; and in Ghana, in Salikpengu and Kulipengu, in the Mion district.

Green Voices I

The first phase of this project (Green Voices I) began in 2016 in collaboration with the Autonomous University of Madrid. It started with an intensive and continuous training program between 2017-2019, which led to the launch of green projects in their respective communities. Spanish singer and songwriter Luz Casal wrote the song “Voces Verdes” for this project, recorded by eight Tanzanian women in Dar es Salaam. This song has become the soundtrack of the project as well as the documentary “Voces Verdes,” which premiered in 2019 with the support of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria.

Partners and Collaborators:

– Environment Media Agenda (EMA) – Tanzania
– Health by Motorbike Inc. – Kenya
– Ruth Adzo Asamoa Memorial Foundation – Ghana