Mount Kilimanjaro

From its peak is easy to see why Mount Kilimanjaro is the main source of water for the huge 40km2 wide area of the Pangani river basin and why most of the hydropower plants in the nation depend on this water stream. A place of incredible biodiversity, Mount Kilimanjaro is also an important source of food, fuel and building material for the people of the region. That’s why it was classified as a reserve, a National Park (1973) and finally a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1989) But today, despite all that, this natural treasure is threatened by the global climate change and local human activities. Weather is getting dryer and hotter in the summer, colder in the winter. Rainfall level on the mountain is decreasing and so does the amount of water flowing down the mountain. 

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Moshi is a municipality and the capital of the Kilimanjaro region, situated at the mountain's base. The city is the center of government activities, trade, finance and is the starting point for all tourism activities in the area. 
Water is really important for the regional economy. The surrounding areas in Moshi district are known for extensive farms of maize and beans, grown once per year during the long rainy season and 20 kilometers south of Moshi there is a very large sugar cane plantation and factory.
Moshi it’s already not unusual to witness water shortage during the dry season and the more you go further into the lowlands the worse it gets.

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In a house that looks like it naturally grew between plants and trees lives a family of three generations of women. Mama Clara, her own mother and her young niece Vanessa. Vanessa’s mother is away, working in the city to provide for her family. 

Kilimanjaro has an important cultural and spiritual significance to the Chagga tribe. They are profoundly attached to this land. They know they survival depends on its preservation, so their culture is really respectful toward that. However, since the park was created the Chagga lost control over their land. Today they can enter a half-mile strip of the forest reserve where they are allowed to collect fallen branched to be used as firewood but they are forbidden to cut trees. However, despite strict regulations, hard bans and violent measures adopted by the National park, poverty is pushing some people to cut trees illegally.

Marriage parties are a moement where different generations come together to celebrate life. In this audio recording, two elders women sing with a group younger men. 

The only water source of the village is situated 70m underground and the water that used to be distributed from nearby sources is not enough anymore to get to the village. Local water demands are more and more difficult to meet and water levels in storage reservoirs are getting lower. Local can do nothing else but wait for the rainy season in order to water their fields.