Meza Community

Project Details

Meza Community is a for profit business located in Tanzania in Mikindani, Mtwara, providing high quality recreation and hospitality services for Mtwara residents and visitors while offering opportunities for local community development and promoting marine conservation.  The current service offered is a bar and restaurant on weekends with a play area for kids.  The children of the neighboring community, Pemba, a small and very low Human Development Index Swahili fishing village, have no specific play area or equipment.  Meza Community has donated money for the construction of a pre-school, fairly close to the Kasa Kawaida play area with the idea being that the Pemba community children can use the Kasa Kawaida play area as theirs in the near term before Meza Community will work with the community to build an additional play area next to the pre-school.  Kasa Kawaida is Swahili for Green Turtle, which is among the marine turtle species which are currently endangered across East Africa.  Meza Community is partnering with other marine conservation organizations in Tanzania to start up a local community awareness programme for kids and adults concerning turtle conservation, starting with the Kasa Kawaida bar, restaurant and play area.  The idea is for local and visiting kids to come and play and learn about marine conservation.  As a founder of Meza Community, David Williams has witnessed the incredible environmental, economic and social impact seen in the North East of Brazil, where he lives with his Brazilian wife and 2 kids, from the re-building of the turtle population via the Projeto Tamar initiative.  Marine conservation education coupled with play could be able to contribute to a new future for the Swahili coast!