About us

Istituto Oikos (www.istituto-oikos.org), is a lay and independent association that works in Europe and in the developing countries to promote environmental conservation as tool of socio-economic development. Established in Milan (Italy) in 1996 on initiative of a team of biologists and naturalists, Istituto Oikos has specialized from its inception in the environmental field with projects on biodiversity conservation, sustainable management of natural resources, land management planning, databases design, habitat Today, Istituto Oikos is working in Europe, South Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America in key areas of biodiversity, with programs within or at close proximity to many parks and natural reserves, where it operates side by side with institutional partners and local communities.

Partners:

TERRE SOLIDALI ONLUS (www.terresolidali.org) is an Italian NGO founded in Italy in June 2002 created by a group of professionals with consolidated working experience in the humanitarian aid and development sectors with the common objective of reinforcing the civil society and the institutions of the newly emerging countries in the South, through the joint implementation of projects in different sectors. Terre Solidali has also a great experience in development education sector being one of the representatives of the Italian Platform for Development Education.

OIKOS EAST AFRICA is non-political and non-profit association based in Arusha (Tanzania) that pursues objectives of social utility for the community, thus having only solidarity ends. The overall objective is to preserve the biological diversity of Africa environmental heritage and to promote the sustainable use of natural resources as instrumental in fighting poverty.

WODSTA (Women Development for Science and Technology Association) aims to develop, train and to increase productivity in women’s development activities in this areas: agro-based activities; industrial activities; training of woman in business entrepreneurship and in managerial skills; environmental conservation and rural energy; population, family planning, family life education, health nutrition, children’s health and family welfare; integration of science and technology for women’s development; gender and development; promoting sustainable livelihoods in society; information sharing among women.

UNIVERSITY OF INSUBRIA (www.uninsubria.it), Department of Environment, Health and Safety is an Interfaculty Department Centre in Varese. The strong interdisciplinary aspect of the Department facilitates many research and study opportunities, as well as building and reinforcing its positive and productive relationships with local and national governments and local and multinational companies. In particular, the Planning and management of parks and natural resources Unit has a many year’s experience on the coordination and realization of projects about the conservation and the environmental and wildlife management in Italy and in foreign countries (as Tanzania Project: A sensational long term program of the University of Insubria that aims to preserve and conserve the fauna and environment in Northern Tanzania, which is one of the most important ecosystems of Eastern Africa).

CORRIDOIO.ZERO is a multidisciplinary no-profit organization born in Milano in 1999. Corridoio.zero works in the field of participative approach to management of natural resources and appropriate technologies, cooperating with several Italian ngos and the Politecnico di Milano University. Corridoio.zero developed its experiences in international cooperation in the Balkans and the Mediterranean Area.

ARUMERU DISTRICT is the institutional local partner that has the overall institutional supervision and responsibility to implement energy policy at local level (preparation of rural energy guidelines/action plans) taking into account identified energy needs of rural communities and use results to improve national policy.

Best Ray local supporters

Local BEST RAY associates include CAMARTEC, KAKUTE Ltd and MAAJABU.

CAMARTEC has trained masons that work under the supervision of BEST RAY to build biogas plants while KAKUTE has contributed expertise to enable rural people in the BEST RAY Project area to cultivate jatropha plants, extract and process jatropha oil for use as a renewable source of energy.

On its part, MAAJABU has contributed to the project by encouraging members of the community to adopt renewable energy technologies and services which are appropriate to their situations.

Core activities of CAMARTEC are to produce and test agro and renewable energy technologies for communities in rural areas.

CAMARTEC

Website: www.camartec.org

E-mail: camartec@yahoo.com

The purpose of KAKUTE Ltd is to transfer appropriate energy technologies to the rural areas of Tanzania. The organization focuses on the usage of the jatropha plant to achieve its aims.

KAKUTE Ltd

Website: www.kakute.org

e-mail: kakute@tz2000.com

MAAJABU use the power of films to sensitize members of the communities in the project area to use their natural resources wisely in order to sustain development and improve their standards of living.

MAAJABU

Website: www.maajabu.org

E-mail: info@tnrf.org

Donors

EUROPEAN UNION

LOMBARDIA REGION

MILAN MUNICIPALITY

LAZIO REGION

MEDIA FRIENDS