By Business Insider Reporter
The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) has invested more than TSh 30 billion in transformative community development projects in villages bordering Serengeti National Park, as part of a strategic initiative to uplift local livelihoods and strengthen conservation efforts.
These efforts fall under the Support for Community Initiated Projects (SCIPs), a flagship TANAPA programme designed to enhance socio-economic conditions in neighbouring communities while promoting scientific and participatory conservation practices.
The initiative has become a vital tool in reducing poaching, illegal grazing, and other threats to the Serengeti ecosystem.
Speaking during a media tour of the park on 19 June 2025, Serengeti National Park’s Community Relations Officer, Abed Mwesigwa, revealed that a total of 181 projects have been rolled out across the districts of Serengeti, Bunda, Tarime, Busega, Bariadi, Itilima, Meatu, and Ngorongoro – covering the Mara, Arusha, and Simiyu regions.
“These projects include essential infrastructure in health, education, clean water supply, road access, and bridge construction,” said Mwesigwa. “We’ve also worked with stakeholders on land-use planning to ensure long-term sustainability.”
Holistic approach to conservation
Beyond infrastructure, TANAPA’s projects have created direct employment opportunities for local youth, particularly in security services and licensed hunting companies.
These roles offer not only steady incomes but also empower locals as active stewards of Tanzania’s rich natural heritage.
Major investments have included the construction of schools, dormitories for girls, staff accommodation for doctors and teachers, water dams for livestock, roads, ranger posts, and bridges – improving mobility and safety in wildlife buffer zones.
However, Mwesigwa emphasised that communities must meet stringent conditions to benefit from these initiatives – including a zero-tolerance policy for poaching and livestock intrusion into park territory.
“This model has transformed villages into committed conservation partners. Communities now compete to eliminate illegal activities to remain eligible for future projects,” he explained.
Villages implicated in poaching or livestock incursions face immediate disqualification, creating a powerful deterrent. “Most poachers come from outside the area, but they depend on local collaboration. That door is closing quickly,” Mwesigwa added.
Real impact on the ground
At present, 248 villages across eight districts and three regions share boundaries with Serengeti National Park. All have benefited in one way or another from TANAPA’s SCIPs programme.
In Bokore Village, for example, Village Chairperson Nelson James confirmed the completion of a modern dispensary valued at over TSh 400 million, along with a new 12-kilometre access road that was once impassable during the rainy season.
“This dispensary is a game-changer for pregnant women and emergency cases,” said local resident Nyabikwabe Nyerere. “We now have 24-hour access to healthcare services.”
A model for conservation-led development
TANAPA’s approach to pairing conservation with community development continues to set a regional example of how wildlife protection can coexist with human progress. By positioning communities as custodians of their environment, the SCIPs initiative is not only preserving the Serengeti’s ecological integrity but also fostering economic resilience and social well-being among those living closest to one of the world’s most celebrated national parks.
