Welcome to TEMBO PILIPILI | TANZANIA
The Tembo-Pilipili project (Swahili translation of Elephant-Chilli) aims to ensure that farmers living in close proximity to protected areas in Tanzania sustainably mitigate human-elephant conflict by implementing low-cost humane strategies and using community cooperatives to fund mitigation measures and create economic opportunities.
OUR MISSION
OUR VISION
Table of Contents
ABOUT US
The Tembo-Pilipili Project (Swahili translation of Elephant-Chilli) aims to ensure that farmers living in close proximity to protected areas in Tanzania can sustainably mitigate human-elephant conflict by implementing low-cost, humane strategies while using community cooperatives to finance mitigation measures and create economic opportunities.
The project promotes a culture of coexistence by employing practical mitigation methods that help keep elephants away from crop fields and reduce retaliatory actions against wildlife. Over the past year, chili fences have continued to demonstrate their effectiveness in preventing crop losses across all seven of our project sites.
In addition to chili-based deterrents, the project promotes beehive fencing and apiary development as another effective and sustainable approach to reducing crop damage by elephants. Elephants generally avoid areas occupied by African honeybees because of the threat of bee stings, making strategically placed beehives around farms a natural and non-lethal deterrent. Beyond crop protection, apiaries provide farmers and communities with additional income through honey production, beeswax, and other bee products.
The project also integrates cultural tourism as an additional livelihood and conservation opportunity. Communities living around protected areas can develop locally led cultural tourism experiences that showcase traditional knowledge, indigenous practices, local food, crafts, storytelling, and beekeeping activities. Apiaries can also become part of these experiences, allowing visitors to learn about traditional beekeeping, honey production, and the role of bees in ecosystem conservation. This creates opportunities for communities to generate income from tourism while strengthening their appreciation of wildlife and natural resources.
By combining chili farming, beekeeping and apiary development, cultural tourism, community participation, and cooperative-based financing, the Tembo-Pilipili Project seeks to demonstrate that human-elephant coexistence can be achieved through affordable, locally appropriate solutions. The approach protects crops and livelihoods while creating alternative sources of income and strengthening positive attitudes toward wildlife conservation.
Our Story
In 2021, we introduced the Tembo Pilipili project in villages around Selous Game Reserve in Liwale district. Selous has high incidence of elephant crop raiding as elephants that take refuge in community forests during the day often invade crop fields at night. Tembo Pilipili continued to build capacity at our existing six sites in Mikumi, Tarangire, Bariadi/Serengeti, Ruaha, Lake Manyara, and Ngorongoro.
What we Actually do
Elephants have a highly sensitive sense of smell and are naturally repelled by the strong scent of chili. The Tembo Pilipili Program promotes the use of chili-based mitigation methods because they are affordable, effective, and can be made using locally available materials. Farmers are encouraged to grow chili and use it to produce chili fences, chili briquettes, and chili bricks, reducing the cost of human–elephant conflict (HEC) mitigation while protecting their crop fields. Since chili plants are generally unattractive to elephants and many other crop-raiding animals, farmers can cultivate them with a lower risk of damage. In addition, surplus chili can be sold to the chili sauce and processing industry, creating an additional source of household income.
Beyond chili-based solutions, the Tembo Pilipili Program also promotes beekeeping through the establishment of apiaries and beehive fencing. Beehives placed around farms act as a natural and humane deterrent because elephants tend to avoid areas inhabited by bees. At the same time, apiary development enables farmers and community groups to earn income through the production and sale of honey, beeswax, and other bee products. This approach strengthens livelihoods while encouraging communities to actively participate in wildlife conservation and sustainable land use.
The program further supports cultural tourism as a complementary community livelihood initiative. Through cultural tourism, local communities can showcase their traditional lifestyles, indigenous knowledge, local cuisine, crafts, storytelling, and conservation practices to visitors. Apiaries and beekeeping demonstrations can also become part of the visitor experience, allowing tourists to learn about honey production and the important role of bees in biodiversity conservation. By linking conservation with cultural heritage and tourism, communities gain additional economic opportunities while promoting peaceful coexistence between people and elephants.
Through the integration of chili farming, beekeeping and apiary development, and cultural tourism, the Tembo Pilipili Program creates practical, community-led solutions that protect crops, improve household incomes, and promote long-term human–elephant coexistence in Tanzania.
OUR CORE VALUE
Sustainability & Resilience
We design for the long term. building social, economic, and environmental systems that can withstand shocks.
Community Ownership
We facilitate; communities lead. All projects originate from participatory planning and require community co-investment.
Transparency & Accountability
We maintain open-book management, publish annual reports, and use community scorecards for mutual accountability.
Training, Workshops and Conferences
Our training, workshop and conference services are carefully curated to cater to a diverse audience, including researchers, students etc.
Project Administration
At Tembo Pilipili Program, we specialize in turning visions into reality through our comprehensive project administration service.
Evidence-Based Decision-Making
Our ystem goes beyond reporting by using evidence and feedback to drive continuous learning, improve programs, and support effective adaptation.
Our Partners
Our Sponsors
