KIYODEA have been looking for an income generating sustainable project to guarantee funding for their projects within Kilwa district. In early 2012 KIYODEA were donated a building site with access to electricity on Masoko Pwani, one of Kilwa’s most beautiful beaches. 

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Due to the large variety of virgin natural resources & environments within the district it was found that Kilwa would make an excellent site for a biological research centre. This centre could then be marketed to all international universities as an undergraduate and postgraduate tropical research site dealing in terrestrial, aquatic and marine biology.

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KIYODEA began planning the centre with guidance from players in the tourism and
research industries and funding for construction was through donations from private individuals and businesses in the area.



The construction and implementation of the necessary facilities was supervised by a
voluntary UK eco-builder and scientist and completion was at the end of 2012.



Plans are currently underway to begin accepting the first students from national and international universities and marketing of the research centre is through volunteers in their respective countries acting as representatives of KIYODEA.



Plans in 2013 are to acquire international postgraduate students to be based and carry out their research projects at the centre. Focusing of visiting undergraduate short field courses towards the areas of studies carried out by the research students ensures that the scientific input on field courses becomes important and part of a large picture of decoding the science of this area.

When not being used for biological research; the centre also is used as:

• Accommodation for archaeologists studying the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kilwa Kisiwani.

• As the base for the KIYODEA Gap Year Program.

• As a free meeting place for other local charities.

• As the office and logistics centre for KIYODEA’s AIDS awareness program.