Serengeti. The Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (Tawa), in partnership with Grumeti Reserves Ltd, has handed over desks and medical equipment worth Sh362 million to Serengeti and Bunda districts in Mara Region under the Special Wildlife Investment Concession Area (Swica) agreement.
The equipment, delivered on February 27, 2026, includes 3,015 desks, 21 computers, 24 hospital beds, eight Ups units and two printers for schools and health facilities.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Senior Assistant Conservation Commissioner for Community, Research and Good Neighbourliness and representative of the Conservation Commissioner, Omary Msangi, said the support was part of implementing the Swica agreement signed in January 2024.
“This is not charity,” Mr Msangi said. “It is a contractual obligation under the Swica framework to ensure communities living adjacent to Ikorongo and Grumeti reserves directly benefit from conservation investment.”
He said the agreement requires the investor to improve conservation standards while also increasing revenue and delivering measurable social benefits to neighbouring communities.
Lake Zone Conservation Commander Mark Chuwa said the partnership between Tawa and conservation investors has strengthened both protection efforts and community welfare.
“These desks will reduce congestion in classrooms, while the medical equipment will enhance service delivery in local dispensaries and health centres,” Mr Chuwa said.
Serengeti District Commissioner Angelina Lubela thanked Tawa and the investor for what she described as timely support to the education and health sectors.
“The desks will create a better learning environment and motivate pupils to attend school regularly, which will improve academic performance,” Ms Lubela said.
Bunda District Commissioner Aswege Kaminyonge said the initiative reflects the enabling investment climate created by the Sixth Phase Government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
“The benefits of conservation investment must be visible to wananchi. In Bunda alone, these desks will address shortages affecting about 4,600 pupils,” Mr Kaminyonge said.
Grumeti Reserves Ltd representative Frida Mollel said the company remains committed to ensuring communities surrounding the reserves benefit from its presence.
“We will continue supporting social services as part of our long-term investment commitment,” Ms Mollel said, adding that community cooperation is essential for sustainable conservation.
The handover highlights the government’s policy of linking wildlife conservation with direct community development outcomes in areas bordering protected reserves.
