Help centre
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers about how OTESHA works — GPS tree tracking, caretaker jobs, corporate ESG partnerships, carbon credits, and government collaboration.
What is OTESHA?
OTESHA is Tanzania's National Green Asset Management System — a technology platform that GPS-registers every tree planted, assigns trained paid community caretakers to maintain them, and provides corporations and government with live dashboards showing verified environmental outcomes. OTESHA is not a tree-planting campaign. It is the digital infrastructure that makes tree-planting actually work.
Does OTESHA replace existing government programmes or institutions?
No. OTESHA works alongside and in active support of existing government environmental programmes. We provide the digital infrastructure, coordination framework, and accountability systems that those programmes need to measure and prove their impact. OTESHA strengthens what the government is already doing — it does not compete with it.
Who owns the trees and the data?
Trees are owned by the individual, community, or organisation that plants or sponsors them. All data generated by the OTESHA platform — GPS locations, survival records, carbon calculations — is owned collectively by the tree owner and the Government of Tanzania, in alignment with national data sovereignty frameworks. OTESHA is the custodian and manager of this data, not the owner.
How does OTESHA track tree survival?
Every tree planted through OTESHA is assigned a unique digital ID and GPS coordinates at registration. A trained community caretaker visits each zone on a regular schedule — weekly or bi-monthly depending on the planting stage — logging tree health, growth measurements, and photo evidence through the OTESHA mobile app. This data is aggregated in real time on the OTESHA Admin Portal, accessible to corporate partners and government ministries. Any tree flagged as dead or critically stressed triggers a 48-hour mortality alert and replacement protocol.
What is the survival guarantee?
OTESHA offers a 100% survival guarantee on all trees planted under the managed New Planting & Care subscription. Any seedling that fails to survive — for any reason — is automatically replaced at zero additional cost to the subscriber. This guarantee is backed by our dedicated caretaker monitoring programme and our 48-hour mortality alert protocol.
How does OTESHA create green jobs?
For every planting zone enrolled in OTESHA's managed programme, a cohort of trained community caretakers is recruited from the local area, prioritising young Tanzanians and women. Caretakers receive structured training in digital reporting, environmental monitoring, and tree maintenance. They are paid a regular income for their caretaking services. This creates sustainable, skill-building green employment in rural and peri-urban communities across Tanzania.
How can a corporation partner with OTESHA?
Corporate partners subscribe to OTESHA's New Planting & Care programme, starting from TZS 20,000 per tree per year. This covers seedling sourcing, GPS registration, 12 months of caretaker labour, dashboard access, and an annual ESG impact report. Companies with existing planted forests can subscribe to the Legacy Forest Mapping service, bringing historical plantings into the verified OTESHA registry. Contact us at info@otesha.co.tz to request a corporate briefing package.
Does OTESHA generate carbon credits?
Yes. Trees registered in the OTESHA platform are eligible for VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) and REDD+ framework registration, subject to project aggregation thresholds. OTESHA's GPS-verified survival data provides the Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) evidence required by international carbon registries. We are actively working with partner institutions to establish Tanzania's first nationally-verified reforestation carbon credit cohort.
What makes OTESHA different from previous tree-planting drives?
Three things. First, every OTESHA tree has a digital ID, GPS location, and survival record — it is a registered asset, not a statistic. Second, every OTESHA planting zone has a paid caretaker whose job is to keep the trees alive — not just plant them. Third, every corporate or government partner receives a live dashboard with independently verifiable data — not a planting-day photo and an annual report number. OTESHA is the system that previous drives never had.
Where is OTESHA operating?
OTESHA's pilot is based in Dodoma, Tanzania's capital, targeting 1,000,000 trees across six planting sites in the Wami Ruvu Basin and Dodoma City Council areas, launching July 2026. Phase 2 expands to Dar es Salaam in Q1 2027, with corporate and hospitality cluster partnerships. Phase 3 (2027-2028) expands to Southern Highlands, Zanzibar, Tabora, Shinyanga, and Singida regions.
What happens if survival rates are low?
OTESHA's platform is designed to detect and respond to mortality before it escalates. Caretakers file health logs on every visit. Any tree flagged dead or critically stressed triggers a 48-hour alert and immediate replanting decision. All subscribers receive full replacement coverage under the survival guarantee. Aggregate survival data is published in the annual Green Impact Report — maintaining full public accountability regardless of outcomes.
How do I adopt a tree as an individual?
Individual tree adoption is available through the OTESHA mobile app and website. When you adopt a tree, you receive its GPS coordinates, species name, planting date, and a unique digital ID. You can track its growth through the app, receive caretaker maintenance updates, and view its lifetime carbon contribution. Pricing and availability are shown on the Adopt a Tree page.