From Studying to Living Responsibility

When Lorenz Geroldinger talks about the association Moyo Elimu, which he co-founded, you immediately sense the passion that drives him. The FH Salzburg student in the Innovation and Management in Tourism degree programme doesn’t just deal with sustainability and social responsibility in theory – he lives it. Together with his friend Laurin Lackner-Walz, he founded the association in 2022, which has since been committed to creating educational opportunities in Tanzania on many levels.

After completing his social service in Tanzania, Laurin returned with the idea of raising funds for a new school kitchen. What began as a fundraising campaign for the kitchen evolved into a comprehensive educational project. The biggest milestone for the young team so far was the opening of their own primary school outside the metropolitan region of Arusha: Moyo Primary School in the Maasai village of Mbararwai. Since then, the association has financed seven local jobs and overseen the construction of new classrooms and sanitary facilities.

“We want to invest sustainably – not just build structures, but create a future,” emphasises Lorenz, who has already visited the site in person.

Alongside expanding the school, the association focuses on clean drinking water: a pilot project last year provided 50 water filters to the village, home to around 2,000 people.

“Without project coordinators on site, none of these projects would be possible. Transparency and local collaboration are extremely important to us,” explains Lorenz. Project coordinator Nancy Nashilu Mtei, from Tanzania, maintains contact with local authorities, mediates, monitors, and coordinates construction projects.

Topics such as social sustainability, equal opportunities and poverty reduction are also central to Lorenz’s tourism studies at FH Salzburg.

“I see parallels between tourism and development work. In Tanzania, the downside of overtourism is clearly visible. Too often, international tour operators reap the benefits while the local population sees little of the profits,” he says. More education, especially in rural areas, is intended to counteract this imbalance.

Today, seven young people from Salzburg are actively involved in Moyo Elimu, which has around 200 members. The annual membership fee of €50 per person mainly covers fixed costs such as teachers’ salaries and maintenance of water filters. Infrastructure projects are financed through private donations. “A fair teacher’s salary is about €80 per month – that shows how much can be achieved with relatively ‘little’,” says Lorenz.