Being Green

The Eco Village estate boasts a forest reserve and natural underground springs. Adopting permaculture principles, a number of naturally spring-fed ponds will be created to increase the bio diversity of the area and support abundant wildlife including fish, ducks and geese. Fish will be farmed as a means of generating income

The importance of conservation and preservation is increasing every year and, as a result of public exploitation of natural resources and climate change, limitations on water supplies are increasing annually. Consequently, there is a need to urgently recover the lost understanding of our relationship with the natural world and to recognise that we are irrevocably interwoven into its fabric. Following intensive research alongside the support of environmental academics, Islamic Help aims to utilise environmental systems that include protecting water sources, ensuring sanitation and usage rights. We initiated our first system in the Children's Eco Village and aim to replicate the same model in other regions around Tanzania..

Hima, which literally mean "protected area" in Arabic, can be defined as a Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) system that promotes sustainable livelihood, resources conservation and environmental protection. The system was practised in the Arabian Peninsula and was perfected by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) by introducing social justice into the governance structure. The Hima system is one of the most widespread systems of traditional conservation in the West Asia and North Africa region and beyond, in countries where Muslims had a presence such as India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Throughout Islamic history, Himas have distinctively boasted equitable sharing of resources, social inclusion, sustainable use, consultation and representation for decision-making, land management, management of scarce resources, rights of use, ethics, conservation and poverty alleviation.

A Harim presents a concept similar to Hima, in this case an inviolable zone that may not be used or developed unless specific permission is granted by the Harim regulatory authority. The Harim zone is usually defined in relation to wells, natural springs, underground water channels, rivers and ponds. The protective zone will keep pollution and contamination of the water table to a minimum; sustain and protect water levels underground through strict underground water extraction rules; improve cultivation through fair irrigation methods, and improve health and the livelihood of a locality. The main objective of the protection zone is to preserve the Harim from misuse, pollution and congestion. The principles of the Harim state whatever causes harm to the water is cause for banning, and in the case of a drinking well any cause that impedes drinking from it is to be banned.