Portfolio
Selected examples of my work from the past several years supporting USAID, Rainforest Alliance, and other endeavors.
USAID: From Conflict to Harmony in Tanzania
Inclusive land rights as a catalyst for empowerment and conservation
Client: USAID
For much of the past decade, I had the privilege to work as a contractor for USAID’s environmental programs. One of the most memorable and impactful projects I contributed to was an inclusive land rights initiative in Tanzania.
Led by the incredible Tanzanian organization Lawyers Environmental Action Team (LEAT) , this initiative helped hundreds of villagers obtain official land ownership documents for the first time. In particular, the program helped women, disabled people, orphans, and other members of the community who historically would likely have been excluded from land ownership.
These new landowners also formed councils to protect the forests, water supplies, and other natural resources they all need to live. They resolved disputes between family members and neighbors that had sometimes turned violent in the past.
Visiting three of these villages, I saw firsthand how transformative this work is. With their land documents in hand, the communities were bursting with optimism and hope for the future.
While this case study unfortunately never got published due to the dismantling of USAID in early 2025, I’m sharing it here to help preserve the knowledge of the great work done by USAID and the INRM and LEAT teams.
