Global Resource Alliance (GRA) is a small international NGO located in Musoma, Tanzania. They work on issues of orphan care, water supply, permaculture, herbal medicine, reforestation and sustainable household energy use – which are all pressing issues in Tanzania. The GoSol team is a big fan of sustainable activities and appropriate technologies, so working together with GRA was a logical choice when GoSol was starting its operations in Tanzania.
The country is in dire need of such sustainable activities. Deforestation is a slowly but steadily occurring environmental disaster – as people have used the original forests for firewood, the price of this commodity has skyrocketed, and there is just a fraction of natural forests left. There are not enough clean water resources for the rapidly growing population. And the basic needs of thousands of orphans require special attention of caring individuals – such as from GRA’s employees.
GRA is active in Musoma, the capital of Tanzania’s Mara region, and across from Lake Victoria at a remote village called Kinesi. Most of GRA’s personnel and volunteers work in their Musoma office. They do their agricultural projects at surrounding communities, and conduct water surveying and drilling in nearby regions. The local orphans gather at their office every Saturday, to receive food and educational materials. At Kinesi there is a permaculture training centre, where GRA employees and volunteers work together with orphans, to grow food for 35 families.
GoSol arrived to Tanzania in May 2017. Our collaboration with GRA was in full swing from the start, as GoSol was representing its technology besides GRA at Butiama’s annual Environmental Expo. The expo is the most important annual forum for environmental organizations is Tanzania.
GoSol also worked with GRA artisans, to manufacture locally the first two Lytefire solar concentrators in Tanzania. Working with these skilled professionals was a delight and immediate success. Even tough there were language barriers, as the artisans spoke Swahili, and GoSol’s project managers English, these motivated professionals managed to fabricate the solar concentrators in record time because of our improved visual instruction material and construction guide that manages to bypass such language barriers.
Global Resource Alliance and GoSol worked together in May and June 2017. During this time, we witnessed they are a professional, deeply devoted and passionate group working to make Tanzania a better place for the people, environment and children. We are very happy to continue our collaboration with GRA, to benefit the Tanzanian people and environment!
