- P.O. Box 249 Lushoto, Tanga, Tanzania
- +255 718033646
- info@changamotoyouth.org
Nestled in the Usambara Mountains of Tanga Region, Lushoto is one of Tanzania’s most beautiful and ecologically important locations. It is also a place where poverty, youth unemployment, and environmental degradation intersect in ways that demand urgent attention.
C.Y.D.O – Changamoto Youth Development Organization – was born in this context. Founded in Lushoto in 2011, we are a fully registered Tanzanian NGO dedicated to empowering youth, restoring forests and building stronger communities across Tanzania.
The Usambara Mountains are recognized globally as one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots – home to hundreds of endemic plant species, rare birds, and unique ecosystems found nowhere else on Earth. They are also the source of water for millions of people in the Tanga Region and beyond.
But these mountains are under threat. Deforestation has accelerated as growing populations clear land for agriculture. Exotic tree plantations have replaced the native forest. Rainfall patterns are shifting. Springs and streams that communities have depended on for generations are running dry.
This is exactly why Lushoto needs an NGO like C.Y.D.O – and why we have made this remarkable place our home and our mission.
C.Y.D.O. operates multiple tree planting and forest restoration programs in and around the Usambara Mountains. We work with community groups, schools, and local government to establish tree nurseries producing indigenous Usambara species, plant trees in degraded forest margins and on community land, restore riparian vegetation along streams and rivers, and train community members as long-term forest guardians.
Lushoto District has one of Tanzania’s youngest populations – and one of its highest youth unemployment rates. C.Y.D.O’s skills training programs in Lushoto provide young people with the practical knowledge and entrepreneurial skills they need to build sustainable livelihoods in their own community, without having to migrate to cities.
Lushoto’s beauty, culture, and biodiversity make it an ideal destination for international eco-volunteers. C.Y.D.O. hosts volunteers from across the world who come to plant trees, teach skills, renovate schools, and experience the authentic culture of the Usambara people. Our volunteer programs are ethically designed – they benefit communities first and volunteers second.
C.Y.D.O. is fully registered and transparent. We have 14+ years of proven delivery in Lushoto and across Tanzania. We are locally rooted – our leadership, staff, and most volunteers are Tanzanians. We work across multiple sectors: environment, education, gender, livelihoods, and youth. And we welcome donors, volunteers, partners, and researchers.
If you are looking for an NGO in Lushoto, Tanzania, that delivers real, measurable, community-driven impact – C.Y.D.O is your organization.
Visit us at changamotoyouth.org or contact info@changamotoyouth.org to learn how you can get involved.
