Update: From August 18 to 24, an additional CHF 10,530 was donated with your help.

Click here for the update after the visit and here for the latest report from the partner.

This brings Washo's total donations to CHF 316,028 (see donation list).

Lukas - my trip to Tanzania:

As the founder of Washo, I not only wanted to see Tanzania's impressive natural beauty, but also to experience firsthand how our donations are making a difference on the ground.

During the summer holidays,

I traveled to this fascinating country with my wife and our 13-year-old twins. We stood in the middle of the endless savannahs of the Serengeti, looked into the gigantic Ngorongoro Crater, and hiked through the green forests of the Amani Nature Reserve. Prides of lions, herds of elephants, breathtaking landscapes—and everywhere this warmth: Hakuna matataand a smile, no matter where we went.

  • Safari and wildlife

    Observe animals up close: a unique experience for the whole family.

  • Forest Focus – our partner

    Our partner Forest Focus plants trees and supports people in need

  • Amani Nature Reserve

    We observed chameleons during a nighttime walk in the forest.

Visit Forest Focus

Since early 2024, Washo has also been supporting Forest Focus, a non-profit organization based in Korogwe, with over CHF 67,000 to date. (see donation list)

The approach: not just planting trees, but specifically planting fruit trees in mixed cultures. This creates biodiversity, binds CO2, and at the same time provides trees as an important source of food for people living in extreme poverty.

Tens of thousands of Washo trees in Tanzania

Forest Focus was founded by Khalifa, der, who grew up in Korogwe and returned in 2019 after completing his studies in agriculture and forestry to help his homeland.

While our motto at Washo is "Plant trees – save the planet," Forest Focus works according to the vision "Plant to stop poverty"! This combination is a perfect fit for us.

Great confidence in our partner

Khalia and his organization Forest Focus are an ideal and trustworthy partner for Washo.

The partner communicates with us very transparently and has already received a lot of national and international recognition for his work.

Every tree planted is recorded electronically. Because planting is only the beginning. To develop its full effect, the tree must be cared for over many years. That is precisely why it is important for us at Washo to remain on board and provide long-term support.

  • Tree planted

    Here I am planting a fruit tree on school grounds. It will later provide shade, food, and bind CO2.

  • Protect nature

    The riverbank area was previously cleared and the soil eroded. Washo is financing reforestation here to restore the natural environment.

  • 1 million seedlings

    The seedlings are grown in the nursery. Later, they are planted by Forest Focus and cared for over many years.

Shocking poverty and what we are doing about it

In addition to reforestation, Forest Focus also runs a social department that supports extremely poor children and schools.

Meeting these children had a profound effect on me and my family.

Washo has promised immediate assistance and will support Forest Focus with at least CHF 10,000 in additional poverty relief funding until the end of 2025.

Poverty is not abstract—it has names and faces:

Here are some sad examples from our visit.

And further: "The schools are also shockingly under-resourced: 429 pupils share four classrooms, and there is a lack of electricity, exercise books, textbooks, and pens. Teachers earn the equivalent of just under 300 Swiss francs a month."

  • Yusuf, 15

    Yusuf is an orphan and often shares only one meal a day with his 6-year-old brother. He earns his living doing odd jobs.

  • Joyce, 17

    Joyce, 17, lives with her mother and two siblings in a small mud hut measuring 9 square meters. A bed with old foam scraps serves as a place to sleep for everyone, and cooking is done on a fire pit on the floor. There is no toilet.

  • Emanuel, 17

    Emanuel, 17, is the best student at his school and wants to become an ophthalmologist. He can only continue his education with financial assistance—and walks two hours every day because he doesn't have the money to repair his bicycle.

Tanzania: Breathtaking nature—and bitter poverty

My family and I will always remember the summer holidays of 2025. "

Our trip to Tanzania was a conscious decision: we wanted to see what we were getting involved in and experience the impact of our aid with our own eyes. Yes, we know that flying is not good for the environment—we offset our flights via Atmosfair.

. But only those who truly experience nature and people want to protect them. The encounters with breathtaking nature and bitter poverty moved us deeply—and they will have a lasting impact on our actions.

  • cheetah

    Around 1,500 cheetahs still live in Tanzania's open national parks. With a top speed of 75 mph, cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world.

  • elephants

    Elephants can often be seen at watering holes. The government takes wildlife conservation seriously, and the population is even increasing again.

  • gnus

    Watching a herd of wildebeests up close is also an impressive natural spectacle. These herds often live together with zebras.

Tanzania is a great country with a lot of potential.

Despite the omnipresent poverty, we encountered almost exclusively confident and smiling people in Tanzania.

Everywhere you go, you hear "Hakuna Matata" – which means "everything is fine" or "don't worry."

Thank you for making this support possible with us.

Washo Magazine

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