Phase II of this three-year program will enable the planting of 1.5 million trees in East Africa. The Tanzania program is a true sustainable development initiative, because it helps to meet the needs of the current generation and provides an avenue for future generations to thrive. If the pilot program is successful, it may provide a model for other reforestation programs in remote areas.
Planting trees is just one part of the effort.
The program also empowers farmers to build skills in agricultural management and computer technology, develop new language skills, and participate in a micro-lending program. When successful, TIST can help local Tanzanians move from subsistence farming to commercial sustainability. The program was designed to reforest the local area and improve farming, but the benefits are much further reaching than that. The most important benefit is that TIST helps people help themselves and their community be sustainable for future generations. Through its contribution, funded by a grant from The Dow Chemical Company Foundation, Dow will help fund various aspects of the program and in turn will support its own triple bottom line philosophies and Sustainable Development Guiding Principles .