By Br. John Cornel Sulle OFMCap | Executive Director
Quarterly Report – June 2026
Project: Birthday Tree Planting Project
Project ID: #58012
Since our last report
TAJPI continued expanding the Birthday Tree Planting Project beyond schools by strengthening community leadership and ecological governance. While the project remains rooted in encouraging children and young people to celebrate birthdays by planting and nurturing trees, this quarter demonstrated how the initiative can also mobilize adults, faith communities, and local leaders to champion environmental restoration.
On 29–30 June 2026, TAJPI facilitated a two-day Environmental Rights and Climate Justice Training Workshop in Kibondo District, Kigoma Region, bringing together 58 participants, including religious leaders, community leaders, environmental advocates, and representatives of local institutions. Participants strengthened their understanding of environmental rights, climate justice, environmental governance, and their shared responsibility to protect natural resources for present and future generations.
The workshop created an important space for dialogue on the environmental challenges affecting Kibondo, including uncontrolled bushfires, degradation of water sources, conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, and the limited enforcement of environmental laws. Through participatory discussions, participants developed a set of practical resolutions to strengthen environmental governance at the local level. These included expanding environmental education, promoting community-led tree planting and tree care campaigns, improving collaboration among local government authorities, schools, faith communities, and civil society organizations, and establishing mechanisms to monitor community environmental commitments.
This quarter also reinforced the Birthday Tree Planting Campaign as an innovative model for climate action that links personal celebrations with long-term environmental responsibility. Participants committed to encouraging households, schools, churches, mosques, women's groups, and youth organizations to plant and care for trees during birthday celebrations and other important life events. These commitments directly support the project's broader vision of promoting ecological conversion through individual and community action while contributing to Tanzania's national environmental restoration priorities.
Measurable Progress
During this reporting period, TAJPI achieved the following:
Although the environmental impact of tree planting is measured over many years, these activities are establishing the leadership, partnerships, and community ownership necessary to achieve the project's long-term goals of expanding ecological education, increasing tree survival, and building climate-resilient communities across Tanzania.
Looking Ahead
Over the coming quarter, TAJPI will continue scaling the Birthday Tree Planting Project by working with schools, local communities, and faith institutions to transform environmental awareness into measurable action. Planned activities include supporting additional environmental education sessions, strengthening community monitoring of planted trees, promoting birthday tree planting within households, and expanding partnerships that will increase participation among young people and local leaders.
By strengthening ecological literacy alongside practical conservation efforts, TAJPI aims to build a culture where planting and caring for trees becomes a lifelong responsibility rather than a one-time activity. This approach supports our long-term vision of restoring ecosystems while empowering communities to become active stewards of the environment.
Thank You
We sincerely thank our GlobalGiving donors and partners for making this work possible. Your support is helping communities move beyond awareness toward lasting environmental action. Every birthday celebrated with a tree planted represents another step toward restoring ecosystems, strengthening climate resilience, and inspiring future generations to protect our common home.
Submitted by:
The A'ray Justice and Peace Initiative (TAJPI)
Rhotia Village, Karatu District, Tanzania
June 2026
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