All Things Sustainability: Thrive or Survive?

This week I had the fortunate opportunity of visiting the organization ECHO just outside of Arusha. The purpose of this organization is to connect sustainable development projects in Tanzania together to collaborate and ensure more efficient uses of resources. During our time there, we received a tour of some of the sustainable projects and garden designs that are being used throughout the community.

The purpose of many of these designs is to be efficient, low cost and with a substantive harvest. 

This includes water filtration systems and irrigation systems. As you can see here, this is an efficient way of collecting clean water. With an established contraption which connects rain runoff to the covered pool, you are able to collect gallons upon gallons, keeping it together with a single tarp.

There’s this “miracle tree” that everyone swears by called Moringa. Essentially it’s become a way to purify water, cure backaches, provide necessary vitamins and minerals and even be used for building materials and spices. The purification system may be my favorite. You grind up the seeds, pour into water and shake it around. The dirt and bacteria binds onto the seed powder and then when you poor through a filter cloth, the water is free from impurities. Place the water in the hot sun for a while to fry the remaining materials and voila! You’ve solved the second biggest issue of mankind: acquiring clean drinking water. (And everyone knows the first biggest issue is trying to find decent wi-fi.)

Most importantly, I learned the best question to pose in a developing country

. As was explained to us, it’s important to look at a plant and ask, “what would it take to make this plant thrive?” Not just survive, but thrive. This same question could be imposed on your own life, or even on a country you intend to “help”. Under what environmental and social conditions are humans (and countries) guaranteed to thrive. What are the ultimate conditions that will ensure we are healthy, we are progressive and we are living the lives that are intended.

I think we often face the question of how to contribute to a society without imposing your own culture in an ignorant, totalistic matter. But perhaps if we come to a new country asking first, what are the necessities for thriving rather than commodities for our idea of a comfortable life, we can more effectively help without the western volunteer complex.