Environmental Professionals Radio (EPR)

Biodiversity, Wildlife, and Sustainability with Godfrey Oyema

June 17, 2022 Godfrey Oyema Episode 71
Environmental Professionals Radio (EPR)
Biodiversity, Wildlife, and Sustainability with Godfrey Oyema
Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! 

On today’s episode, we talk with Godfrey Oyema, Assistant Environment Officer with the UN Refugee Agency about Biodiversity, Wildlife, and Sustainability.   Read his full bio below.

Help us continue to create great content! If you’d like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form

Showtimes:
1:32  Nic & Laura talk about fishing
7:41  Interview with Godfrey Oyema Starts
11:06  Sustainability
13:33  Biodiversity
20:06  Sustainability cont.-(ESG)
23:08  Wildlife & Field Notes

Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. 

This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.

Connect with Godfrey Oyema at https://www.linkedin.com/in/godfreymchunguzioyema/.

Guest Full Bio:
In his professional life, Godfrey has over 10 years implementing successful sustainability programs in tourism, science and technology, environmental services, agriculture, construction, and humanitarian sectors.  Presently he is an Assistant Environment Officer for the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Godfrey is working on sustainability initiatives for providing refugees with sustainable and clean cooking solutions, also works on sustainable environment initiatives including tree planting and soil conservation.

Godfrey is an experienced professional in sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives. He has designed and implemented several successful sustainability projects using
Environment, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Strategies.

Trained as a Biodiversity Conservationist and Environment Ecologist, Godfrey has a master’s degree in Environment and Human Ecology from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. He is a Chartered Member for Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management of London, UK. And the Winner of The Sustainability Leader Award of the 2022 for the Planet Calls Magazine, www.theplanetcalls.com/magazine

Music Credits
Intro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace Mesa
Outro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs Muller


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Transcripts are auto-transcribed

[Intro]

Nic 
Hello and welcome to EPR if your favorite environmental enthusiast Nic and Laura. On today's episode, Laura and I discuss our fishing exploits. We talked to Godfrey Oyema about biodiversity, wildlife and sustainability. And finally, some tarantulas in the Amazon have pet frogs

Laura 
That's adorable. I love that.

Nic 
I thought you would. It's kind of funny these these buddy frogs guard the spiders eggs from ants and other insects trying to eat them. While the spiders provide protection from frogs. So, you know, how about that they'll actually literally hide underneath the tarantula. Like they'll literally just be sitting there under there hanging out with them. So they really are like pets. It's kind of hilarious.

Laura 
That's awesome. I needed pictures.

Nic  
Yeah, Google it, Google it. It's actually really cute. Alright, hit that music.

[NAEP Event News]

Laura 
Are you interested in PFAS? The next NAEP webinar titled, PFAS emergence: Is it summer yet? Will be a mid 2022 update on PFAS policy risk and treatment and it will take place June 23 at 3pm, Eastern 12pm Pacific. Check it out at naep.org We appreciate all of our sponsors and they are what keep the show going. If you'd like to sponsor the show, please head over to environmentalprofessionalsradio.com and check out the sponsor form for details. Let's get to our segment.

[Nic & Laura Segment: Fishing]

Laura
Do you fish?

Nic  
No. My grandfather fished. It was like his pastime but not mine.

Laura  
Did he try to make you fish?

Nic  
Oh of course I have fish plenty of times. I have caught fish. I have caught large fish. We've been  deep sea fishing as well. But yeah, that was very dismissive. No!

Laura  
What kind of things are you looking for in deep sea fishing? I never done this. I don't want to.

Nic 
Well, I mean I think if you asked me to do it, if I would do it now I probably wouldn't. It's just doesn't. doesn't quite hit the right note with me now. But at the time it was you know, we did it a few times. And as a kid we would go out to you have to go out several miles. You have to really go out there.  You get these long poles and just put squid on a hook and drop it in the water and you just pull up whatever. There's nothing nuanced or interesting about what we did. It was much more but there's like the touristy side of things. It was just like, isn't that neat.  I caught a flounder, you know, which are super strong. By the way. I didn't realize that they look like monsters actually. Their teeth are very big.

Laura 
Wait a flounder. How big?

Nic 
The one I caught was two feet. So not small but you know when you're 10 It seems you know, humongous. And so yeah, it was like it felt like it was the same size as me. Um,  there's other kinds of deep sea fishing too but if you're going for like the tuna and sharks and stuff like that.

Laura  
Marlins. Do people still fish Marlins?

Nic 
Yeah, I think so actually. And there's some you know, you can still you can definitely still do that. They records aren't really getting broken anymore, but

Laura
Well, that's sad.

Nic
Well, if the fish are adapting, it's weird. Like they're actually getting,

Laura
oh, well, that's not sad.

Nic

They're getting sexual,

Laura
I'm like Go Fish.

Nic
They're getting smarter. They're reaching sexual maturity earlier, they're having more. They're getting there faster. So the smaller ones are basically reproducing. So they're kind of we're basically selecting for small fish who will survive. It's kind of

Laura 
No, I was thinking the other way. I thought they were like, Oh, fish hook. I'm not biting that.

Nic
Oh, god. No,

Laura
I thought that's how they're getting smarter.

Nic
No, that's not it.

Laura
Either way, go fish.

Nic 
Yeah. There we go. Yeah. Wow, those are those are my jokes, Laura. If you could just let me tell the Dad ones. I don't know. Like, you know, my uncle does a lot of fly fishing as well. And it's another

Laura  
People like fly fishing. I could see that being very peaceful. Maybe. Yeah. It's definitely a different vibe than deep sea fishing.

Nic 
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. 100% But it was, sorry I'm being rude here. Are you a fisherman?

Laura 
I am not an fisherwoman. Um, Plenty of Fisherwoman friends, I guess. I don't know. It doesn't appeal to me on a lot of different level levels. It's not just the fish are cute thing. I have been fishing younger. Yeah. You know when those things grandpa wanted you to do all the time. Let's go fishing. It's not something I think I've done even one time in my adult life. No, I took my my niece one time fishing off of the dock because she wanted to do. She did catch something too.

Nic 
Yeah.  Well, it was it was like different,

Laura 
We threw it throwback Of course.

Nic 
I'm sure it was. Yeah. But like that's the thing like as a kid, you just want, and it used to drive my grandfather crazy, because we're like, just plopping it right in the front. He's like, no the big fish are deep. You need to throw it and we're like, yeah, we can catch these little ones right now. Yeah. You know, isn't that cool? And also, can you take it off the hook please? You know,

Laura  
There is a photo of me with a little Shovelhead shark, Hammerhead one of the others. I have caught when I was little.  I'm probably not really proud. The awkwardly like, what is this?

Nic  
Well, it's funny actually. I went fishing for Piranha in the Amazon. How about that?

Laura 
What? How does that work?

Nic 
It's super easy. It's just like,

Laura
You stick your hand in the water and wait.

Nic
You just need  a string. You just pull it up. It was that simple. And they're just like, holding on to it. I don't even think we use the hooks. It was just like, okay. It was pretty funny. But yeah, yeah, that was kind of wild. You get to see them get to see their teeth. They are terrifying looking. But yeah.

Laura 
So was that like a tour? You were like, Okay, tomorrow we're going Piranha catching

Nic  
Well, you know what,  kind of like it was like we were at where we were in the Amazon was with a community that had been there, you know, native community. And so they they built areas for us to stay and took us into the forest to see things and that was one of the things we saw. And you know, there's actually. [Toby the podcat meows]. There he is. It was actually like a, that was a clearing lake that had just it was just in the forest and there are river otters everywhere, eating the Piranha actually in different parts of the lake and it was really

Laura
Oh fun.

Nic
Yeah, and it just like you could hear him you know, just chomping away at these things. And so, yeah, it was really really cool.

Laura 
So the Piranha don't eat the otters?

Nic 
No. No. Piranha don't really, they have a reputation that is, you know, more Hollywood than you'd expect if you fall into the water they're not going to  just nibble you to pieces. Yeah,

Laura 
I think they just they just chew off your clothes. They chew off your clothes or they chew off all your skin until you're just a skeleton?

Nic  
Well, that's that's the Hollywood right? Yeah, you have a cow walks into a river it gets it gets eaten. And all that's  left is the bones Yeah.

Laura 
Right. If it's a cow, it's that.  If it's persons just their clothes.

Nic
Right. Yeah.

Laura
That makes sense. Okay, this is getting very nonsensical. Let's get to our interview.

Nic
Alright. Perfect.

[Interview with Godfrey Oyema Starts]

Laura
Welcome back to EPR. Today we have Godfrey Oyema. On the show from Tanzania. Godfrey is assistant environmental officer at the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. He is an ESG sustainability expert, biodiversity and ecosystem restoration specialist. Welcome Godfrey.

Godfrey Oyema 
Thank you Laura for having me.

Laura 
It was good to talk to you again. We were introduced by Tiffany Duong who has been on our show before and she was on her live episode just a couple weeks ago. So I want to just start off with like the story of how you and Tiffany know each other.

Godfrey Oyema 
Well, Tiffany, she's a friend of this  friend. So I got connected to her because of her having the same passion in the environmental Ecosystem Sustainability. So that's how we got connected.

Laura 

So you're in Tanzania, which you know, we all love. It's as environmentalists knowing how much environments and habitat and animals are there's always very intriguing. So tell us about some of the work that you do there.

Godfrey Oyema 
Right now I'm an Assistant environmental officer with the UN Refugee Agency. So my role is to look after environmental protection, conservation and restoration because our operation really interact with the environment so that we don't create strong environmental footprints. So my role is to advise on how best to implement our humanitarian operations so that our activities have little environmental impact.

Laura 
Awesome. And then what kind of companies or organizations do you work with or do you work with individuals?

Godfrey Oyema 

I'm working with the United Nations responsible for refugees, UNHCR, so a full time employee, like I said, my day to day activities is to make sure our corporations in the camp does not you know, impact the integrity of the environment.

Laura 
Got you. So tell us about a little bit what your day looks like. What kind of work do you do during the day? What how how does your work look like if I came to Tanzania and follow you around for a day?

Godfrey Oyema  
Well, of different activities, but basically, we have to do monitoring because we have an implementing partner who is looking after the environment and the energy initiatives. So for us as a sector expert, we have to make sure we monitor our implementing partner so that to make sure our project activities are implemented according to project management problem, and that the compliance is always maintained in terms of the timeline, in terms of deliverables. So I would say my day to day activities is largely a monitoring of those activities.

Laura 
And then working in the refugee camp. What does that like? Do you have to interact with people and also work? So work with environmental and people?

Godfrey Oyema  
Yeah, so I get to interact with different people who are working in the camps that includes the refugee themselves, the host communities and partners because they as you know, in environment, this is cutting across so they get to interact with the different partners, including government as well so, so as to work together to make sure our operations does not you know, significantly impact the environment.

[Sustainability]

Laura 
Okay. And then are there any specific projects that you're implementing? So when you have to be sustainable? Are you working on any specific projects with those plans?

Godfrey Oyema  
Oh, yes, we have different projects. One is on soil conservation. We have one now water protection conservation, we have the restoration, but also we work on sustainable alternative sources of cooking energy, we call it cooking energy solutions, which promote the sustainable use of cooking materials. So one of the many projects is producing a briquette biomass, which means people are not cutting the forest just for firewood. So we use biomass briquettes charcoal as an alternative source of cooking energy.

Nic  
So are there any challenges with your job

Godfrey Oyema 
Yeah, of course  challenges are always there? As you know, because when it comes to resources, because we see environmental issues, that means we have many of them, but we need a lot of resources so that we can address them in a way that is you know, is bringing the results we want to see. So I will say financial challenges is one of the the key issues, but also we have the issue of you know, people buying into what we are doing, because sustainability is all about changing the mentality of people the behavior of people, but then not all are willing to change. So that means changing that behavior is something very difficult, but yeah, we are trying to do our level best raising the awareness, but also sometimes duplication because you have different sectors are doing their own activities, but then you find there are some overlap. So trying to remove that. So that to optimize the resources is always difficult, because those partners are receiving money from different donors. So changing them to the money the way you want them to do it is something very, very difficult. But yeah, like I said, this little dialog, we always tend to address those issues. Thank you.

Nic 
And do you work only in Tanzania or do you get to travel around?

Godfrey Oyema 

No for now I'm working only in Tanzania, in particularly Kasulu district. That's where our operations are basically. So most of the time I'm here.

[Biodiversity]

Nic  
Gotcha, yeah. Yeah. So I know biodiversity is also very important to you. And when I think of Tanzania biodiversity, the first thing I think of is Lake Victoria, and it has one of the most well known invasive species introduction with the Nile Perch. I don't know if everybody listening knows about that. So how has Tanzania managed Nile Perch in Lake Victoria?

Godfrey Oyema 

Well, that's a very good question.  Nile Perch is like you said a very invasive species and I think it has caused the ecological issues along Lake Victoria one with the loss of the native species [14:08 unintelligible] they compete as a top predator in Lake Victoria. There have been so many interventions from the government, but they need the intervention he has not always as not been to remove nile perch from Lake Victoria. Because if you remove that, that means you are going to collapse the livelihood of so many people who depend on the nile perch because I nile perch is one of the main commercial fish from Lake Victoria. So what I will say there has never been like a concrete government initiative to eliminate the species. Because right now it just like does, it is part of our economy. So there is no way we can get rid of it, but rather to be ready to live with it forever. That is all I can say.

Nic  
Yeah, yeah. But it's a really good point that you have to look at the biology and the people. It's funny that like I always forget like Nile Perch. They are humongous fish they're so big.

Laura
Oh really. I picture perch as little fish.

Nic
No, they're like four, six feet is like a two meter fish.

Laura
What?

Nic
Is that really how big they can get?

Godfrey Oyema 

Yeah, I actually I remember when I was young the first time I saw that huge fish I actually ran away you know, it's very huge because I hear people say some of them can even weigh 60 kg plus. Some can even weigh I hear some 100. Those free grown.

Nic
Yeah.

Laura
Wow.

Godfrey Oyema 
So some time let me tell you you cannot the free grown range, I cannot even lift myself. You have to have two people to lift it.

Nic  
Oh my gosh. Yeah. So that's it. Yeah. That's a really important one. Because I in my head. I was like, Oh, yeah. Small. No, no, they are big.

Godfrey Oyema   
No. It's very big. Very big.

Nic
So are there other issues, environmental issues in Tanzania? That we need to know about?

Godfrey Oyema 
Yeah, of course, there are so many issues, environmental issues. I will start from the Lake Victoria, you know, we have this water hyacinth, if you have read about water hyacinth is an invasive weed which has been, you know, impacted so many areas along the Lake Victoria and that means hyacinth even impacted the way people move around the lake. The fishing activities are being sometimes affected. So that is one part of it. But then the other issues are so many things like deforestation of natural forests, because Tanzania is one of the developing countries around the world  so large percentage of people depend on that I'm sure as a source of cooking energy, as building materials so deforestation is going on. We have the issue of commercial agriculture. So commercial agriculture that means you have to apply a lot of agro-chemicals, pesticides, and as you know, when the rain comes and the fluid runoff and you find a lot of this runoff take both fertilizers into water bodies, so you have the issue of water pollution. But yeah, there are so many issues. Here. Tanzania like climate change that is normal. We encounter so many drought some areas affected with the flood. So those are some of the environmental issues that we are we are facing but also don't forget about biodiversity loss that is normal. If you destroy natural forest What do you expect? You will lose a lot of native species. So those are some of the environmental issues we are facing in Tanzania.

Nic 
And you mentioned forest deforestation, and you were also a forestry manager at one point so how difficult was that job?

Godfrey Oyema  
Yeah, it's very difficult because especially if you you have communities living around the natural forests and if that is their main source of cooking energy or building materials, it is very challenging to tell people to protect the issue. Don't give them alternatives. So my experience I heard from Unilever, when I was working as environmental compliance in the forestry manager, we had these initiatives of providing fast growing trees, those commercial trees which grow so fast. So we used to give people to establish small woodlot so that those trees can come this also firewood, do some timber, and sometimes they can even sell it. They raise money to cater for other needs. So if you want people to protect the natural forests, you have to have another plan. Otherwise, you have to be ready. Everything will be gone.

Nic 
Yeah, you're exactly right. Don't do that isn't good enough? Yeah. You need to do this instead.

Godfrey Oyema 
Right. Exactly.

Nic
Yeah. And so you've had a really good career. You've advanced rapidly, I would say throughout it would have been your keys to success in your career.

Godfrey Oyema 
Well, I think for me, it's very difficult to pinpoint one thing which has been very great but then yesterday I think that is something big news for me. Yesterday I won the Sustainability Leader award of the year.

Laura

Woohoo.

Nic
Congratulations!

Godfrey Oyema 
Thank you so much. So I think for me, that is a very, very huge milestone, a huge achievement because it's my first you know win an award  of this nature. And I think I'm very proud that I'm very excited. And I think has even motivated me more to do the work I do the best, which is protecting the environment.

[Sustainability cont.- (ESG)]

Nic 
Yeah, and it's great news. Congratulations again. And yeah, I'd say it's really really interesting to learn more about you and and how you've worked through your career. And I know ESG has been a recurring theme on our show. I know it's very, very important to you as well. So what advice do you have for companies who are maybe struggling to implement an ESG or don't know how to even start?

Godfrey Oyema 
That was a very great question. Yeah, ESG is now, trending terminology everywhere is about ESG. My advice to companies, businesses and NGOs, wherever who is interested in ESG. First, they should know ESG is not expensive. It's something very easy, as long as you know what you will work to achieve in terms of environment in terms of society. And is it possible for you to design a simple governance system in your organization. So to be able to spearhead what you want to achieve? I'll give you an example. If you are, let's say agricultural company and you know you are using agro chemicals, which can pollute the water. So, can you have a system where you can use less agro chemicals, or can you have a system where you have a regular water quality, you know, monitoring, can you provide training to your internal workers, the best way out to apply chemicals so I mean ESG it is not that expensive. What is lacking is that commitment from the top leadership is what always makes ESG to implement across so many organizations.

Nic 
Yeah. And do you see the future of ESG is it going to are we going to get there are we going to get those top leaders and if not, how can we?

Godfrey Oyema 
Yeah, I mean, you know, like I said ESG is a bit complex because of the UE that you know, like greenwashing, you know, you hear some companies saying we are doing that we are doing that well in the actual sense, they are not doing it. So I think we have to be transparent for me. If I want people to have a better ESG we need your honest people should be transparent and also not to make so big targets because when you make big targets, that means you have so many pressure. You can even cook data to fool around that yeah, I'm doing that. Just because you want to impress people, but I always say you just start small, you know, it's like a baby. You just started small or you do one thing at a time, if you want to do like 20 things at the same time. You can't do that. Because ESG also needs money, you understand? So for me, I'm saying ESG the future of ESG for right now I can't say is good or it is bad, but what I would say we need to have ESG in our system, which is very, very transparent. And whoever is running the ESG program should be competent enough to understand the nitty gritty of what it is to have ESG in the business.

[Wildlife & Field Notes]

Nic 

That's perfect answer. Thank you. And I appreciate that. But we also have a segment on the show we call Field Notes, and it's one of our favorite parts of the show where we ask our guests to share fun stories from being out in the field and we mentioned earlier, Tanzania has some incredible wildlife some of the most incredible wildlife in the world. And, you know, a place where we can have some we can't even imagine. So when you live that close to real wildlife, you have to have some great stories to share. Do you have any close encounters or anything like that?

Godfrey Oyema 

Yeah, I have. I remember that was the 2007 when I was assigned down in National Park, I remember it was in my third year of Dar es Salaam. So I remember I got chased down by the bull, the buffalo bull. I got chased down by the buffalo bull, but I was lucky enough to escape that encounter. I think for me, it has remained like one of the funniest, scariest moments in wildlife. But yeah, I mean, those are just the adventures which happens when you interact with the animals. But that never deterred me from loving wildlife. So that's one of the things

Nic 
So we also like to ask our guests what they do for fun and sounds like you can do yours or your three almost at all at the same time. So sightseeing, wildlife photography and hiking. So tell us a little bit about what got you into those and maybe maybe one of your more recent trips.

Godfrey Oyema
 
Yeah, exactly. I had a chat with Lola. So right now, I'm actually planning to do storytelling, storytelling of the fauna, fauna wildlife in human environment. Because you see for now, most of the conservation activities focused in the national parks, forest reserve, game reserves, but then these wildlife in human environment is ignored. So for me, I thought it is very important. to do the documentation of the wildlife that we live with in our environment. So to do that, I'm planning to be doing the photography, and then he tell the story. I interview people like what to do they know about a particular species. I want to know their cultural perspective. If that that species has any significance value to them. So through that, my understanding is perhaps they can raise a bit of awareness to the communities on how they can coexist with wildlife. So that's the project which I'm planning to do, but that is subject to if I get the funds. I need to get  to get it started.

Laura 
Yeah, tell us more about what you need to get started on that project.

Godfrey Oyema  
Well, thank you very much. So to get started that means I need a maximum of 5000 US dollar so on 5000 US dollar that means I can have at least two set of 500 USD to buy a perfect new Canon camera, which is recommended by mostly wider photographers. And part of that money will be used to shoot we know if I buy the camera from US for example, it has to get to Tanzania. So it has to be shipped but also when it lands in Tanzania have to create the tax. So I will say if I have 5000 USD, I buy the equipment. I get it to transport Tanzania, then I can get started.

Laura 
Okay, so how about I buy the camera and then I come with it and hand it to you.

Godfrey Oyema 
Well, that is awesome and actually Laura. Even I don't need your money. If you can buy if somebody can buy the camera, send it to me. Exactly. That would be lovely.

Laura 
All right, well, we have a lot of people listening who who love wildlife and our photographers, environmental professionals love photography. We're all out in the field looking at beautiful things all day. So you never know. We'll see what happens.

Godfrey Oyema 
Exactly.

Nic  
Yeah. Do you have a favorite? I mean, there's so many iconic species in Tanzania. Do you have a favorite?

Godfrey Oyema 
I know for me wildlife is all wildlife species are favorites because I love nature. You know every species has got its own ecosystem function. So I wouldn't say that is the better or if I say I like earthworm.  People would laugh at me. Like why do you like earthworm? You understand? I like you funny. So I tell people why don't you like lions.  So I say, hey guys listen, we have small critters, which does a lot of you know, ecological function that then even if the big five. So for me, someone like who likes to see the test soil for earth food. I think I like worms a lot. And unfortunately if someone was to decide to give me like which PhD do you want to do. I will say I want to do something related to soil conservation. You understand? I love the wildlife that most people can not see and those residing in the soil.

Nic 
Weather Yeah, but they're also the ones that need strong advocates. Right? Because everybody talks about the big five.

Godfrey Oyema 
Exactly.

Nic
Yeah, but there's so many other species that are , some are even more important, like you mentioned. That's really neat. It's really really neat.

Godfrey Oyema 
And these days we call species discrimination, or we say specific discrimination. It's like we tend to focus on some species and we ignore others. Like you say now people you are talking about cheetah Tiger, Giant Panda, they talk about Pangolin but what about the porcupine? What about Mulga tree species which is disappearing you understand? So I think for me? Yeah, because I know we already have some threatened endangered species. Of course we need strong action, but that should not be the reason to forget the other species, you understand?

Nic 
Yes. Yes, absolutely. And it's a challenging effort because you know, it's it's easier to you know, you can see lions it's a really it's all easier. So those that having an advocate for smaller species is really, really important because yeah, what you see on TV isn't necessarily exactly what you see in the world.

Godfrey Oyema 
Exactly.

Laura 
I think some other things while we have you here, is what is the day in the life of living in Tanzania? Like, I've been to Kenya, so I've been near to you. But knowing like what is your day like, outside of work even just what is it like living in Tanzania?

Godfrey Oyema 
Yeah, you see Tanzania is a beautiful country in terms of PC. People are very lovely. We are very social diversity. African culture is not perhaps like us. So we are social animals. We like to interact a lot and the weather is very good. We don't have those four seasons like you have in the US. So here it is a dry season, or a rainfall season, in between in sunlight now to consider sunshine is very strong. So we have you know, fresh food. I mean, life here to be honest, when I was doing my master's in Brussels, Vrije for three years. I think I missed Tanzania a lot because of the I mean, these countries are too different in terms of people the food we eat, the lifestyle. So Laura, you been to Kenya perhaps we are more or less the same lifestyle. That's what I can say life is very beautiful.

Laura 
Yeah, I can imagine. And then you said Tanzania, right. Us Americans are saying it wrong. Aren't we?

Godfrey Oyema 
[31:06 unintelligible] Tanzania ok? Tanzania.

Laura
I just can't.

Nic 
Yeah. I was actually going to ask you about food. You know, one of the challenges we have here is everything is three steps removed from where it came from. So we don't have a lot of fresh food. And I don't know if there's, there's a particular dish that you like, at all or is there I mean was there a group of food different types of food that you prefer?

Godfrey Oyema 
Yeah. Yeah, well, absolutely. See in Tanzania, we have about 120 plus tribes. Yeah. So each tribe has gotten it's own favorite food.  So for me, I'm from Lake Victoria, specifically a place or a town called the Bukoba and Bukoba our food is banana, you know. So banana I can eat it in the morning for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner. But then, the funny thing my wife, she's from another tribe, she's Sukuma. For them there, it is all about rice and you know, Ugali. Laura, have you seen Ugali? 

Laura
Yep.

Godfrey Oyema
So, my wife, my wife's tribe is all about rice and that. So those are not saying rice and ugali is my favorite, is not my favorite because of my wife sometime I eat you know. When you come to Tanzania, it depends where you are. But let me tell you, rice and ugali is so so common in Tanaznia wherever you go. They have become like a national food.

Nic 
Gotcha. Yeah.

Laura  
I loved all the food we eat in Kenya. It was so good.

Godfrey Oyema
Exactly.

Nic 
And those two countries have a really good relationship. It seems Is that pretty accurate?

Godfrey Oyema  
Yeah. I mean, uh, you know, they say in politics, you don't have a permanent enemy. You don't have a permanent friend. But many, yeah, overall, I would say the relationship is good, is good, not bad.

Nic  
But then your other neighbors as well. I mean, is it just typically pretty?

Godfrey Oyema 
Yeah, other neighbors we have that Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo. So in terms of political relationship, diplomatic relationship, economic relationship, we don't have any issue except to some of these challenges. You hear from Congo, there is some, you know, a cultural conflict which has been going on otherwise, this region is stable, overall, it's very stable,

Nic 
Yeah, and do your neighboring countries, do you guys actually work together on bigger biological projects, or is it all kind of each country does its own thing?

Godfrey Oyema 
No, yeah, it depends for you know, this ecosystem which are no traversing those areas. Like Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is in Uganda, in Kenya and Tanzania. Although, in Tanzania we own like 60% of the lake. So there was Lake Victoria environmental management plan. So that means it has to be all the three countries to work together, but also where you have with Kigoma there is what they a call reef tier. I call our botanical ecosystem. So our botanical ecosystem. That means from Tanzania, Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. So those countries, they have to work together to make sure that ecosystem is functioning very well. But also if you got to tell them Tanzania, you have Niassa wildlife corridor, so Niassa wildlife corridor, runs from Tanzania all the way to Mozambique, so WWF is working on that ecosystem tier. Don't forget about Masai Mara. When you have the wildebeest migration from the Serengeti to North Mara. So I mean, so it depends where you are. If you go to Lake Malawi, like Niassa we have the Mara we have to conserve so those countries sharing the that ecosystem they have to work together jointly to make sure they protect it. So yeah, there are some sort of initiatives.

Nic 
Yeah, that's really interesting. That's really cool.

Laura 
Yeah, that's great. Well, we are coming close to the end of our time. So is there anything else you wanted to talk about today that we didn't get to?

Godfrey Oyema
 
Well, I think for me, I would like our business to see right now. The world is in very big crisis. And when I say crisis, I mean three, many crises. We have the climate change, we have the nature loss, that is biodiversity loss, but also we have the issue of pollution. But the question is, what can we do? What can we do? about it? It's not all about big government, big companies. I mean, for me, I like to say, each one of us can do something, can do something to change this world. I see people, they buy food, they eat food, they throw a lot of food, but I tell people when you throw food, you throw the land. You destroy habitat, because the more you throw, that means we need more land. So I think every one of us has to be a leader has to take initiative to make sure that we have a better planet for all living organisms.

Laura
Absolutely.

Nic 

Yeah, that's fantastic. That's a great answer,

Laura  
Yeah, great ending message. So lastly, where can people get in touch with you if they want to follow up with you?

Godfrey Oyema 
For me, in terms of social media, I am on LinkedIn, you know, you can share my profile name if you want. You have gotten my email you can share it as well. Otherwise, be very, very happy to get support of my camera because if you do documentation, Tanzania that can change someone else's attitude so I really look forward to get some support so I can get started on the project.

Laura 
Awesome. Well, hopefully next time we talk to you, you have a you have your more awards, and maybe one in film creation.

Godfrey Oyema 
Exactly.

Nic
Perfect.

Laura
Well, thank you so much for joining us today.

[Outro]

Nic  
And that's our show. Thanks so much, Godfrey, for joining us today. As always, please be sure to check us out each and every Friday. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review. See you everybody.

Laura
Bye.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai


Nic & Laura Segment- Fishing
Interview with Godfrey Oyema Starts
Sustainability
Biodiversity
Sustainability cont.-(ESG)
Wildlife & Field Notes