Development is a walk in the park...

Sandwiched between the historic Stone Town and the Indian Ocean, Forodhani Park in Zanzibar is an excellent blend of old and new.

The park was rehabilitated recently by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture at a cost of $2.4 million.

It is now a good blend of modernity and history. The success is hinged on the historical houses and cultures that are Zanzibar’s main attraction.

Ever since Arab traders arrived on the island using monsoon winds in the 8th century, the island has been a hub of commerce and culture — a melting pot of African, Arab, Indian and European influences.

Most of the houses were built in the 19th century when Zanzibar was one of the most important trading centres in the Indian Ocean region.

Now the enhanced aesthetics of Forodhani Park will boost tourism, the backbone of Zanzibar’s economy.

The opening of the park coincided with the advent of the tourism high season that begins in August.

Forodhani Park lies at the foot of the Old Fort — also known as Ngome Kongwe — and the former palace of the sultans, which was also used by European colonialists. It is now the Beit El-Ajaib National Museum.

In the old days, the park hosted the main port and was a landing point for former sultans of Zanzibar. It has remained a central meeting place for leisure and entertainment.

More exciting to local people is the fact that the park will provide many employment opportunities not only to those in charge of its maintainance but also those who engage in small businesses such as food vending.

They will be catalysts of social, cultural and economic development of the area.

Already, some 75 vendors have been registered and trained in hygiene and customer service, bringing more people into the formal economy.

They are expected to boost their earnings fourfold.

While opening the revamped park, President Amani Abeid Karume said it was important to Zanzibar not only for its aesthetic beauty but also for its impact on the country’s growth and poverty reduction plans.

The supply chain has also been expanded, with each vendor dealing with at least four suppliers.