Importance of Social Responsible Business Projects for Sustainable Development of Tanzania

MOSCOW, June 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Today CSR initiatives are engaging a wide range of parties in interest, while not limiting itself by shareholders only. All this is of paramount importance in emerging African countries, especially for Tanzania, with its famous Selous Game Reserve, which was enlisted in the World Heritage Site list in 1982, due to the diversity of its wildlife and undisturbed nature. Today, Selous is one of the largest reserves in the world that needs special protection policy.

Unfortunately, the Selous has been hit very hard by poachers: between 2009 and 2014, the population of approximately 45,000 elephants has been decimated to approximately 15,000. And between January and December in 2015 more than 4,000 heads of cattle were seized inside the reserve.

In that context, Tanzania's president Magufuli has pledged to tackle the corruption that allows the illegal ivory trade to continue and declared war on poachers. In this battle the participants include not only governmental bodies, but also social responsible private companies and international business.

For instance Uranium One, a global uranium mining company has defined a program in support of the governmental anti-poaching campaign in the Selous Game Reserve as a key component of the company's corporate social responsibility. Uranium One was the first private company to have joined these efforts of Tanzanian Government.

The efforts brought tangible results as sixteen groups of poachers have been caught and handed over to the police so far. The company has also forged partnerships with leading charity organizations, such as Operation Smile and READ International and helped them support local communities. Uranium One's CSR programs have earned national acclaim: between 2013 and 2015 the company received a number of presidential awards.

German side is also making a great contribution to supporting the fight against poaching. Frankfurt Zoological Society is working with Tanzanian partners to conserve this unique wilderness area. The Society is in the process of providing 700 rangers with basic items like backpacks, patrol vests, water bottles, but also GPS equipment to record and transmit position data.

There are also numerous examples in Tanzania outlining how large companies contribute to the welfare of people.

For example, a large company in the telecommunications sector, Tigo Tanzania, has been contributing to creating sustainable social responsibility initiatives across the country. The company has focused on empowering the community with the use of digital technology focusing on education, health and entrepreneurship.

In the education sector, Tigo is one of the companies that have taken it upon themselves to invest in youth development in Tanzania. With its programme aimed at providing free internet to 350 Public Schools in Tanzania in a bid to support a government e-schools initiative, Tigo has made it clear that the goal of its CSR policy is creating a sustainable learning environment and nurturing new creative leaders of tomorrow.

The projects of companies like Uranium One or Tigo in Tanzania will create jobs and opportunities for economic development, and build and sustain local communities.