Community Forests International is building Pemba Island's first post-secondary education facility, The Pemba Sustainability Institute, in order to offer certificate and diploma level education in the fields of Environmental Science, Advanced Agriculture, Ecological Forestry and NGO Management. With a population of 362,000 thousand people, and an area of 984km2, this densely populated Tanzanian island is experiencing climate change related drought and food scarcity, making the need for sustainable solutions essential. Strength and resilience lies in knowledge, and by developing the critical thinking skills of Pemban youth through an enriched education experience, Community Forests International will empower Tanzanians to take control over their futures.

The college campus will be powered by renewable energy and constructed by harnessing the latest green building technology in order to offer a learning environment that reflects the institution's philosophy of sustainability, fostering a harmonious relationship between students and the natural world. Located on Pemba, an island in the Indian Ocean, the Pemba Sustainability Institute's campus will feature a research greenhouse and nursery, plus several acres of working agriculture land and  restored forest. A short ferry ride away from Pemba's only pocket of natural forest, the campus will provide cutting edge hands-on training facilities, blending education and experience into seamless environmental programming.

Community Forests International will break ground in the Spring of 2010, and will develop curriculum in collaboration with various institutional partners. For more information on the Pemba Sustainability Institute and what you can do to help, please join this page and join the online discussions or email info@forestsinternational.org.

This page is a portal designed to unite collaborators in the devolopment of the Pemba Sustainability Institute. If you're looking for general informaiton about Community Forests International, please visit their website at www.forestsinternational.org.