By Our Reporter

Dar es Salaam, June 11, 2025

As part of the Environment Week celebrations, the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA), in collaboration with Women in Aviation, partnered with the non-governmental organization Small Hands Big Change in a tree-planting exercise aimed at promoting environmental conservation.

The event, held on June 11, 2025, brought together aviation stakeholders and environmental advocates to raise awareness about climate action and sustainability. Speaking on behalf of TCAA, the Director of Legal Services, Ms. Maria Memba, emphasized the Authority’s commitment to supporting the environmental efforts led by Akoth Okeyo, the young founder of Small Hands Big Change.

“We are here today to support the efforts of this remarkable young girl who has come up with a brilliant idea to help save the environment through tree planting,” said Ms. Memba. “As you know, we’ve just concluded Environment Week, and as an institution, we couldn’t afford to stay behind. We have entered into an agreement with Small Hands Big Change to strengthen our collaboration in these conservation efforts.”

Ms. Memba noted that the aviation industry contributes to environmental pollution, and tree-planting is one way of mitigating the impact. “This is an annual activity for us, and we call on other institutions and individuals to join this initiative. Let’s do it for today, and for the future generation. Together, we can make Tanzania greener,” she added.

A representative from Women in Aviation highlighted the role of women in leading social and environmental change, particularly within the aviation industry, where their voices and actions are increasingly influential.

On her part, Ms. Akoth Okeyo, the young founder and director of Small Hands Big Change, shared her vision to plant trees around airports in a bid to reduce aviation’s environmental footprint.

“When airplanes fly, they burn fuel and release smoke and carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change. Planting trees is one way we can protect our environment and combat these effects,” said Akoth.

The event concluded with the symbolic planting of trees and a call to action encouraging youth and children to take an active role in environmental protection. The guest of honor commended the young environmentalist for her inspiring efforts and pledged continued