Zanzibar Stone Town Heritage Society

The Zanzibar Stone Town Heritage Society (ZSTHS) was created following Stone Town’s anointment as a World Heritage Site. Starting with less than 20 people, the non-government organization (NGO) was officially registered in June 2002. Since then, its membership has grown to over 200 members and the group has completed many restoration, conservation and awareness projects to preserve the heritage and culture of Stone Town.

We run regular training programs in which we complete small or large scale restorations of heritage buildings as training workshops for the local construction centre in restoration, traditional materials and techniques, and maintenance.

The ZSTHS is primarily focused on the built environment of Stone Town, but is also involved in greening and beach cleanup projects, general cultural awareness, and other projects. Most of our work centres on training the local construction centre in the skills of proper heritage restoration and conservation, and public awareness.

Mission Statement:To promote the conservation of Zanzibar Stone Town’s heritage and the environmental and cultural welfare of its inhabitants.

Objectives: • To create and raise awareness of Stone Town’s heritage and threats to its conservation. • To provide technical support for maintenance and sustainable improvement of the built environment. • To promote and coordinate training and education for enhancing economic and cultural activities of Stone Town’s inhabitants. • To support and create activities that celebrate and enhance the diversity of Stone Town culture. • To build partnerships with public, private and community stakeholders. • To lobby and influence policy and decision-making at the government and private sectors relating to Stone Town. • To collect information on Stone Town and otherwise support relevant research.

Our focus: • The main activities of the ZSTHS concentrate on the following areas: • Awareness creation • Training and capacity building • Community outreach and involvement • Studies and research