Members of the Ismaili community through the Ismaili CIVIC initiative has led volunteers and other key stakeholders in conducting a thorough cleanup of Coco Beach, Dar es Salaam’s renowned recreation center.
Leaders and members of the Tanzania chapter of the Ismaili CIVIC, a global programme of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim community, partnered with Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Africraft NGO to carry out the beach clean-up.
The initiative dubbed ‘One Purpose, One Community’ and was conducted over the weekend to coincide with similar environmental conservation activities that are held around the world in observance and reverence of the Global Ismaili CIVIC Day (GICD) which is held annually during the month of September -October.
Since it’s inception in 2021, the GICD reflects the community’s ethos of improving quality of life, fostering unity, and strengthening bonds with the societies in which they live regardless of faith, gender and background.
“Through collective action, GICD continues to highlight the power of service in addressing local and global challenges as well as improving the quality of life of all individuals,” commented Mr. Kamal Khimji the President of the Shia Imami Ismaili National Council for Tanzania.
Similar sentiments were shared by Alykhan Dhanani, the National Director of the Ismaili CIVIC Tanzania who said; “Over 250,000 volunteers have been involved in over 5500 Ismaili Civic activities around the world in collaboration with close to 1500 external partners. Over 4.5 million trees have been planted and over 213,000 Kilos of waste collected in an effort to protect our world.”
Commenting on behalf of the Ismaili Community Vice President Nazir Thawer said the event reflects a wider global vision championed by His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V that sustainable development must place people, their wellbeing and the health of their environment at its centre.
Across Africa, Asia and other parts of the world, the AKDN works with communities, governments, civil society and the private sector to improve quality of life, strengthen community resilience and promote sustainable development.
It’s works spans education, healthcare, environmental protection, climate resilience, habitat improvement and economic development.
Likewise, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) complements this vision by supporting locally driven solutions that address the root causes of poverty, strengthen communities and help build a more sustainable future.
Under leadership of the Aga Khan V, AKDN and AKF emphasize responsible care for the Earth, socially responsible leadership, the wellbeing of vulnerable communities and the importance of leading by example.
Ismaili CIVIC also backs these environmental initiatives that range from tree planting and ecosystem restoration to climate adaptation, renewable energy and the development of more resilient communities.
Also present at the beach clean-up and tree planting was Tanzanian NGO Africraft which helps bring the broader global vision into a local context in Tanzania.
It demonstrates that the pursuit of a better world is not achieved through large-scale programmes alone, but also through the everyday actions of individuals and communities who choose to take responsibility for their surroundings.
On his part, Chairman of the Ismaili Eastern Committee, Mr. Hussein Somji said they are also reducing use of ACs at their offices and mosque as well as adopting use of solar panels, and encouraging their members to be climate change conscious.
His views were supported by the Aga Khan Youth Board Chair, Mr. Hanif Bandali who said the community has banned use of plastics and is taking strategic steps to adopt global shared views towards achieving net zero in carbon emissions by 2030.
“By caring for the coastline, volunteers are contributing to a shared public good that benefits all residents of Dar es Salaam, irrespective of their faith, background or community. Ultimately, this initiative is about more than removing waste or planting trees.
It is about inspiring a culture of responsibility, collaboration and service in which every individual recognizes their capacity to make a difference. It is a reminder that the future we inherit is shaped by those who came before us, and the future we leave behind will be shaped by what we choose to do today.
“Today we gathered not just to clean the beach… through up-cycling, the collected waste is transformed for re-use,” concluded Dhanani, the National Director for the Ismaili Civic Tanzania.
