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Guludo Beach Lodge, Mozambique

July 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

A Dhow on Rolas Island

Who They Are

Far in the northern extremes of Mozambique, beyond Pemba in the Querimbas Archipelago, lies the beach oasis of Guludo Beach Lodge. Set up by Amy and Neal Carter-James, a young English couple who passionately believed that quality tourism could benefit poor, rural communities, Guludo goes much further in achieving sustainable tourism than countless resorts around the world that are many times bigger.

A Tented Banda by Night

Designed to blend in with the landscape without impacting it, the four types of accommodations all open up right onto the beach. The Adobe Bandas have king-size beds under a high thatched roof, and in the Tented Bandas your lodgings are beautifully furnished bespoke tents under thatch that let you feel a part of nature without losing the comfort. Also, there is the two-bedroom Family Banda and the more private Zala Suite.

The Simplicity of an Adobe Banda

If lazing on the white-sand beach gets boring, or you need a break from scuba-diving the coral reefs,  there are tours to the fascinating and historic Ibo Island and Rolas Island, as well as whale watching and, with the Querimbas National Park right behind you, a hideout to look for elephants.

Under their company Bespoke Experience the Carter-James plan to open other similar properties.

What They Are Doing

The Carter-James’s plans began to take root in 2002, when, at a meeting in Guludo village, community members said they would like to help them realize their dream of creating a lodge that helped the locals uplift themselves. Guludo was built following guidelines on how to make as little impact and be as unobtrusive as possible, and to respect local customs and culture. The lodge keeps in mind the principles of fair trade (such as employing 50 people from Guludo village and acquiring all its produce from within a five kilometer radius).

An Adobe Banda on the Beach

All furniture and furnishings were produced by local artisans on site, and even uniforms were made by a local tailor with locally bought fabric. Guests are encouraged to buy locally. Several groups have been set up in the area to provide products and crafts, including two weaving palm, one weaving bamboo, and one doing ceramics. These groups sell directly to guests and to the lodge, and a craft store is being created. It is hoped this will create work. The lodge also encourages local services, such as taking guests to a lookout to see elephants and promoting local dance groups.

Better Eating, Thanks to Nema

Five percent of Guludo’s income goes to a specially created foundation, Nema, which carries out an array of community and conservation projects. Numerous local issues were identified before Guludo opened – high infant mortality, lack of education, and lack of jobs.

Prior to Nema, less than one percent of children went on to study at secondary school and less than 20 percent completed all 7 years at primary school because of the costs and the need for children to help gather food. Nema is building two new primary schools and hopes to build a secondary school next year. A feeding scheme now provides a total of one nutritious meal to 550 children every school day. This year Nema has given out 79 scholarships, although funds are sorely needed to keep this number up (see how you can help). School attendance, as a result of these efforts, has increased by 350 percent.

The Fascinating Ibo Island

In the Guludo area the average life expectancy is 38, and 30 percent of children do not reach the age of five, many dying as a result of  malaria. In 2007 and 2008 over 4,400 insecticide-treated nets were distributed to each woman in six villages who were either pregnant or had children under five, resulting in over 10,000 people sleeping under nets. In 2010, Nema hopes to reach every woman with a child under five in all 12 neighboring villages.

Women Especially are Targeted for Help in Guludo Village

Every day 102 children in Mozambique are infected with HIV and less than three percent will receive treatment. The majority of new infections are in young people, with girls between 15 to 19 three times more at risk than boys the same age. A new local drama group has been trained to perform sketches illustrating the dangers of HIV, and its reception has been incredible, with whole villages turning out to watch the performances. Nema will also start to run HIV workshops, distribute condoms, and will show HIV awareness films. In 2010 it also plans to start a school soccer project to raise awareness among the youth.

Right Behind the Beach ... the Bush

In 2007, around Guludo, less than 50 percent of the population had access to safe water and the majority of pumps were in disrepair. In 2007/2008 Nema completed 28 new or rehabilitated water points and pumps in 12 villages, resulting in the provision of clean water to over 12,000 people.

A Humpback off Guludo

Guludo has also developed a seafood buyers guide to help people decide what non-endangered fish to buy. Guests have helped sponsor humpback whale research, and the lodge helps locals develop kitchen gardens and plans to start working with farmers to be more conscientious of protecting the forest and bush around them.

In Their Own Words

“Inspired by the people living in the Guludo area, Guludo Beach Lodge is just the beginning. Like many entrepreneurs, ideas  always abound and you never quite know what’s just around the corner in their quest of using business to relieve poverty.”

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Filed Under: Carbon Footprint, Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, Features, Guludo Beach Lodge, Health, Mozambique, Women Tagged With: carter-james, crafts, nema, water, whale

Finca Rosa Blanca, Costa Rica

June 3, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

At Finca, Coffee is King

Who They Are

Finca Rosa Blanca was started 25 years ago by Californians Glenn and Teri Jampol, who still live on the property. The lodge, which is not far from San Jose, has a total of 13 verandaed suites – such as El Ranchito master suite and El Guarumo junior suite, all set in lush gardens overlooking a valley – and its owners have been on the forefront of sustainable travel efforts in Costa Rica.

In the Gardens

Seven years ago, the Jampols bought the neighboring coffee plantation and turned it into an organic farm, where the 30 acres of beans are shade-grown, and now you can enjoy truly fresh coffee on the terrace of El Tigre Vestido Restaurant while listening to the songbirds in the surrounding trees. Thus the full name, Finca Bianca Rosa Coffee Plantation & Inn.

A Different Decor in Each Suite

What They Are Doing

Finca has worked with Escuela Jesus, a 500-strong primary school in the nearby town of Jesús for fifteen years. In the last 4 years it has concentrated on a program called the Ecological Blue Flag Program for Schools, which deals with sanitation, electricity, and environmental issues.

The Main Lodge Perches Above the Treeline

Finca also works with schools in Santa Bárbara de Heredia on similar programs and has donated tables to their computer rooms. During the last two years it has brought their folkloric dance troupe to dance at the hotel  for guests and also, twice monthly, the “Cimarron” band who are accompanied by the “Mascarada” troupe (dancers with giant puppet heads).  The high school students have painted murals at Finca and have produced flyers on ecological themes.

THe Pool

Since 2003, schoolchildren have helped plant more than 6,000 native trees at the coffee plantation and hotel, and celebrate the day with a picnic. Finca has been teaching students new systems of hydroponics using recycled material, and is in the process of setting up a hydroponic garden at the school to provide the cafeteria with fresh produce.

Finca supports a group of 100 children from Barrio Jesus called Patrulla Ecologica de Jesús, or the Jesus Eco- Patrol, that gathers every week to talk about the environment, clean the rivers and the streets of Jesus of garbage, recycle, paint murals, and make art, among other things.  These children belong to the Children’s Food Bank, for which Finca provides the food one hot meal a day for more than 100 disadvantaged children five days a week.

Finca hires only locally, whereas in the rest of the country it is common to hire pickers from Nicaragua and Panama. The workers on its coffee farm collaborate in the recycling program and are included in training sessions of ‘Good Environmental Practices.’ Each year Finca provides a physician to examine all the employees or it allows them a day to go to the local clinic. The farm workers are very involved in the reforestation of the farms, from planning the planting of the trees to helping the children plant, to caring for the trees into the future.

At the Case del Cafe

At the coffee-roasting and packing house, Casa de Café, there is a small museum where they demonstrate aspects of Costa Rican culture.

Who They Are

Finca Bianca Rosa was started TK years ago by Minnesotans Glenn and Teri Jampol, who still live on the property. The lodge, with a total of 13 verandaed suites, such as El Ranchito master suite and El Guarumo junior suite set in lush gardens overlooking a valley, and its owners have been on the forefront of sustainable travel efforts in Costa Rica. TK years ago, the Jampols bought the neighboring coffee plantation and turned it into an organic farm, where the 30 acres of beans are shade-grown, and now you can enjoy truly fresh coffee on the terrace of El Tigre Vestido Restaurant while listening to the songbirds in the surrounding trees. Thus the full name, Finca Bianca Rosa Coffee Plantation & Inn.

What They Are Doing

Finca has worked with Escuela Jesus, the primary school in the nearby town of Jesús for fifteen years. The school has 500 students. In the last 4 years it has concentrated on a program called the Ecological Blue Flag Program for Schools, which deals with sanitation, electricity, and environmental issues.

Finca also works with schools in Santa Bárbara de Heredia on similar programs and has donated tables to their computer rooms. During the last two years we have brought their folkloric dance troupe to dance at the hotel twice monthly for the guests and also twice monthly, on the weekends, we have invited their “Cimarron” band ( a rustic brass band) to play for our guests during which they are accompanied by the “Mascarada” troupe (dancers with giant puppet heads) to entertain,.  The high school students have painted murals for us at Finca Rosa Blanca and produced flyers on ecological themes.

Since 2003, schoolchildren have helped plant over 6,000 native trees at the coffee plantation and at the hotel, and celebrate the day with a picnic. Finca has been teaching students new systems of hydroponics using recycled material, and is in the process of setting up a hydroponic garden at the school to provide the cafeteria with fresh produce.

Finca supports a group of 100 children from Barrio Jesus called Patrulla Ecologica de Jesús, or the Jesus Eco- Patrol, that gathers every week to talk about the environment, clean the rivers and the streets of Jesus of garbage, recycle, paint murals and make art, among other things.  These children belong to the Children’s Food Bank, for which Finca provides the food that feeds over 100 disadvantaged children one hot meal a day, five days a week.

Finca hires only locally, whereas in the rest of the country it is common to hire pickers from Nicaragua and Panama. The workers on its coffee farm collaborate in the recycling program and are included in training sessions of ‘Good Environmental Practices.’ Each year Finca provides a physician to examine all the employees or it allows them a day to go to the local clinic. The farm workers are very involved in the reforestation of the farms, from planning the planting of the trees to helping the children plant, to caring for the trees into the future.

At the coffee-roasting and packing house, Casa de Café, there is a small museum where they demonstrate aspects of Costa Rican culture.

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Filed Under: Art, Carbon Footprint, Community, Conservation, Costa Rica, Education, Environment, Features, Finca Rosa Blanca, Health, The Americas Tagged With: coffee, dance, jampol, reforestation

Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

February 24, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Who They Are

Set in a private nature reserve spread over 1,000 acres of Central America’s last remaining lowland tropical rainforest, Lapa Rios Ecolodge overlooks the point where the Golfo Dulce meets the wild Pacific Ocean.

A Few Minutes Away

Designed in harmony with the surrounding forest and beach, the main lodge and 16 bungalows, sparsely lined along three ridges 350 feet above the sea and connected by paths, were built with local materials, including fallen trees, and have intricately woven palm thatched roofs. From the lodge’s three-story circular stairway one can get breathtaking views of the forest canopy and the ocean. There are huge private decks, and the comfortable bamboo furniture is locally made.

Minnesota couple John and Karen Lews first envisioned Lapa Rios  as a private nature reserve. Theu used all their assets to purchase a large tract of rainforest and to build a small ecotourism project. Thanks to help from The Nature Conservancy and CEDARENA, this primary forest will be preserved in perpetuity and the land never developed. The Lapa Rios Reserve helps buffer the Osa Peninsula’s Corcovado National Park and serves as a wildlife corridor.

Morning View

What They Are Doing

Afternoon View

Lapa Rios believes in the power of education, so in January 1991 it brought together a group of neighbors to discuss the idea of opening a school. At the time, most neighbors had never met each other nor had they known that they shared a common ideal: education.  Most families were illiterate and were unaccustomed to the idea of their children attending school.  Out of this meeting came the Carbonera School, and today some kids walk an hour through the forest to attend  class, where they receive both formal and environmental lessons.

Intricate Thatch

The lodge employs only local community members, guaranteeing income to more than 45 families. Members of the community, often from the local elementary and high schools, come to the hotel weekly dressed in folkloric outfits and present the typical dances of Costa Rica to the guests. Lapa Rios supports their efforts by sponsoring their dance teacher, giving them the outfits, and organizing their transfers. Tips left by guests go to the dancers. Regularly, Lapa Rios invites local artists to sell their crafts on the premises, and in many cases the artists meet guests and give them the opportunity to work with them on making something.

Since 2006 Lapa Rios has supported a scholarship program for the students of its employees. Using a competitive application and selection process, the hotel selects two children and pays for their tuition at the private, bilingual school in Puerto Jimenez.

Lapa Rios - A Picture in Green

Lapa Rios has innovative energy-saving practices, including feeding non-compostable organic garbage to pigs to produce methane gas from their waste and then capture that gas for cooking in the employee kitchens. Even though the property has its own springs, water use is carefully monitored.

A Pair of Scarlet Macaws in the Reserve

The property gardens consist of local plants, and only organic fertilizers and natural non-toxic pesticides are used. This helps with water conservation since they require less water during the dry months, and they also restore habitat and attract birds, insects, reptiles, and mammal species.

As a neighbor to Corcovado National Park, Lapa Rios supports park rangers by donating equipment, such as boots, walkie-talkies, and sleeping bags. It has paid the salary of one ranger for over six years. The lodge also supports The Wildcat Conservation Program that works to determine the status of feline populations and their prey on the Osa Peninsula. The project uses cameras and video equipment to watch wild cats in action and study their behavior and population densities in order to better protect and save these highly endangered species. Lapa Rios donates money to purchase the cameras and video equipment and has supported the participation of the researchers in key academic conferences.  Guests are encouraged to donate to the project and take a tour with the researchers to help them place cameras in the forest.

In Their Own Words

“Our mission is to demonstrate that a standing rain forest is more valuable than one cut down.”

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Filed Under: Art, Carbon Footprint, Community, Conservation, Costa Rica, Education, Environment, Features, Health, Lapa Rios, Restoration & Repurposing Tagged With: corcovado, dance, folklore, organic, puerto jimenez

Island Outpost, Jamaica

January 22, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

Above, Snapshots from Island Outpost's Properties

Who They Are

Created by Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records (whose long list of clients has included Bon Jovi and Mariah Carey), Island Outpost consists of five hotels dotted around Jamaica and one in the Bahamas. In Jamaica, there is Jake’s, GoldenEye, GeeJam, The Caves, and Strawberry Hill, each one distinctive and even award-winning in its own right. The properties range from a boutique hotel in the Blue Mountains to larger properties, but never too large, on the beach. Other than the many and diverse projects Island Outpost is involved in, it also manages the former home of Noel Coward as a museum and rents out the villa once lived in by James Bond creator Ian Fleming.

What They Are Doing

Island ACTS, as its name suggests – Assisting Communities Towards Strength – is an umbrella organization Blackwell (see video below) started to support education, health care, and community development projects among the poorest and neediest people on the island.

The Caves

One of the projects focuses on  sustainable development in Oracabessa, a town near GoldenEye. It concerns itself with anything from dispute settlement to promoting music and dance, from advancing sport to agriculture.

Children with the Island Sport Trust

Highly successful too is BREDS, started in Treasure Beach by Jake’s GM Jason Henzel (whose family is famous in Jamaica), has added computer rooms and canteens to schools, keeps the beach clean, and has started numerous sports programs, to only mention a few of their among other things.

One of the Rooms at Jake's

At Patrepant, Island Outpost has an organic market garden that provides produce to its properties, all of which use almost only local fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish in their kitchens.

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Filed Under: Community, Health, Island Outpost, Jamaica, The Americas Tagged With: chris blackwell, geejam, goldeneye, island records, jake's, organic, sport, strawberry hill

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Uganda

January 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Breakfast 2 Kilometers Up

Who They Are

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is situated in Nkuringo, bordering the southwestern corner of the Bwindi National Park.  At 2,100 meters, Clouds enjoys a panoramic view of the Virunga Mountains and the Great Rift Valley.  Up to 20 guests are accommodated in 6 single/double stone cottages and 2 family suites, each featuring en-suite bathrooms, private gardens, and double-sided fireplaces.

After a Cold, Wet Day in the Forests...

The lodge is part of the International Gorilla Conservation Program’s tri-nation project to protect the highly endangered mountain gorilla.  Nine of Uganda’s top artists’ works are featured at the lodge, with their art focusing on people, conservation, and community.

In addition to gorilla tracking – there are about 21 gorillas at Nkuringo -  guests can enjoy interactive visits to Bakiga and Batwa communities, as well as walks through the Baniga forest, where, if you’re lucky, you might get a glimpse of wild chimpanzees.

What They Are Doing

Clouds is a unique partnership between the Nkuringo community (Nkuringo Community Development Foundation), the African Wildlife Foundation, and Uganda Safari Company, who also own Semliki Safari Lodge.

At Play

As part of this agreement, almost all staff members are from the local community and have been trained in the hospitality industry.  A percentage of the lodge’s income goes to the NCDF, which funds are split between health care, education,  business development and agriculture.

A pig project is run by 13 members of the Nteko community, who manage and breed the animals. In 2009 income was made from the sale of piglets.  The project receives food scraps from the lodge.

A vegetable garden started by the lodge for its own use has now been supplemented with gardens at two primary schools. Besides teaching locals more modern farming methods, it is hoped to encourage them to eat vegetables and address the problem of malnutrition in the community.  Pupils are encouraged to take seedlings to start gardens at home.

The Weavers

The most successful project has been the Nkuringo weavers. There are now about 400 participants, who the foundation are helping with their business and to manage their product lines.  The weavers are also taught about family planning and financial management.  Their business generates about $2500 a month and is growing.

Some of the Nkuringo Orphans Perform

The foundation has recently started working with a group of 58 orphans, the Nkuringo Orphans Group, who sometimes put on a performance for guests.  While the project is still new, five children are already in private boarding schools.

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Filed Under: Africa, Anti-Poaching, Clouds Gorilla Mountain Lodge, Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, Health, Uganda Tagged With: art, awf, bwindi, gorillas, nkuringo, orphans, virunga

Fugitives’ Drift, South Africa

December 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

In the Lodge

Who They Are

The Zulu War of 1879 is famous throughout the English-speaking world for the great battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. The spectacular Fugitives’ Drift, a Natural Heritage Site, overlooks both Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, and includes the site where Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill lost their lives attempting to save the Queen’s Color of their regiment.

The reserve offers a choice of accommodations in either the Lodge or the Guest House, both owned by Nicky Rattray and born out of her and her former husband’s extensive experience in hospitality.  Evident in every corner of Fugitives’ Drift is their love of South Africa, its people, and its unique history.  Both properties have swimming pools set in their colorful, well-established gardens, home to numerous bird species. There are also two farmhouses, Umzinyathi and Kwageorge, offering more rustic accommodations.

A Lodge Bedroom

Battlefield at Isandlwana

Browsing Fugitives' History

What They Are Doing

David Rattray, who died tragically in January 2007, devoted much of his life to the study of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, the reconciliation of the people of South Africa, and the promotion of the Zulu people around the world.

After his death, the generosity of friends and admirers helped raise significant funds that were then used to launch The David Rattray Foundation in his memory and to carry on with his good work. The foundation’s main purpose is to further the cause of reconciliation in South Africa by promoting discussion through historical and political lectures, and thereby raising funds, and by supporting local upliftment projects, especifically in the areas of education and health in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The Mangeni Falls

After on-site visits by board members and consultation with community leaders, the foundation put electricity in one school, built a library at a second, and it is busy adding three classrooms to a third. The foundation plans to extend its work, which is done by volunteers, across northern KwaZulu Natal.

In Their Own Words

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Filed Under: Africa, Community, Education, Fugitives' Drift, Health, South Africa Tagged With: david rattray, isandlwana, kwazulu, rorke's drift, zulu

Semliki Safari Lodge, Uganda

December 10, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

In Toro-Semliki Park

Who They Are

Semliki Safari Lodge, a member of the Wild Places group in Uganda, lies in the heart of the Albertine Rift Valley in the Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve.  Toro-Semliki, 550 square kilometers of pristine habitat, is home to several West African species as well as the unique forest elephants and dry habitat chimpanzees. It is also a hotspot for bird watchers, with over 450 species.  Lake Albert, on the northern boundary of the reserve, provides excellent opportunities for shoebill sightings.

Tent Interior, Part 1

Tent Interior, Part Two

Accommodation at Semliki Safari Lodge is in 8 luxury tents with thatched roofs, mahogany floors, stone bathrooms and private verandahs with sweeping views of the Wassa forest or the Kijura escarpment.

What They Are Doing

As part of the original concession agreement, Semliki Safari Lodge has always played a large role in the conservation of the reserve.  Assistance with ranger patrols, controlled burning and wildlife monitoring over the years has led to the creation of the Wild Places Conservation Trust.  The trust, established in 2008, combines elements of park management and conservation with community development in order to preserve the ecological environment in and around the reserve and improve the quality of life for neighboring communities.

Conservation

The trust, in cooperation with the Uganda Wildlife Authority, has stepped up

A Shoebill Stork on Lake Albert

anti-poaching efforts through increased mobile patrols and the creation of ranger outposts. Together they have made great strides in reducing timber and wildlife poaching and in stemming cattle encroachment.  The recent purchasing of GPS equipment has assisted greatly in anti-poaching efforts and wildlife monitoring.

Education

The trust has also pioneered a conservation education program in the local primary schools with the aim of creating a new generation of conservation-minded citizens along the reserve boundary.  The trust has targeted 13 neighboring schools, which each receive regular classroom instruction and have “environmental days.” Teacher training and the establishment of a community nature center are part of future trust plans.

Community

The trust has been active in the local health centers in an effort to improve public health services available to expectant mothers.  In addition to providing training and supplies to local traditional birth attendants, it also conducts regular maternal health education programs in the local health centers.

At the Lodge

In Their Own Words

“The Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve is a very unique reserve, both in terms of habitat and wildlife diversity.  It is with great pride and passion that we created the Wild Places Conservation Trust to work towards the protection and preservation of the reserve in cooperation with the local communities.  The trust aims to combine eco-tourism, sound park management, and community development to create a healthy environment in which the reserve and its wildlife thrive with a direct benefit to the neighboring communities.  We believe the Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve is a truly special place and we are pleased to be involved in its preservation and to share its magic with both its residents and its visitors.”

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Filed Under: Africa, Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, Health, Semliki Safari Lodge, Uganda Tagged With: chimpanzees, forest elephant, lake albert, toro-semliki, uganda wildlife authority

Singita, The Book

December 2, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

Some people talk sustainable tourism, but Singita Game Reserves, the luxury African lodge group, has put its policy into print. An almost 70-page, beautifully assembled and illustrated booklet is now available that lays out Singita’s view of its role in conservation, ecotourism, and community support. The second half of the booklet deals with how each property – in Kruger Park, Grumeti, Pamushana, and Sabi Sand – is putting this philosophy into effect, whether it is through wildlife research, reducing their carbon footprint, sending staff members to cooking school or local children to secondary school, developing small businesses amongst the local community, feeding malnourished children. The list goes on. If other properties want to see if they are on the right track, they could do worse than consult Singita’s manifesto. If you want to read more about it (in book form or eco-friendly PDF format), contact JG Black Book of Travel, 350 Seventh Ave., Suite 1104, New York, N.Y. 10001. Or email info@jgblackbook.com. There are also sustainability fact sheets on Singita’s website. Good idea!

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Filed Under: Africa, Carbon Footprint, Community, Conservation, Education, Health Tagged With: grumeti, kruger, pamushana, sabi sand, singita

Lewa Wilderness, Kenya

November 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Lewa Wilderness

Who They Are

Lewa Wilderness is situated within one of Kenya’s major private conservation successes, the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (previously known as Lewa Downs), at the foot of Mt. Kenya. Lewa Wilderness is the original family home of the Craigs, who came from England and settled here in 1924 to raise cattle, and is still home to hosts Will and Emma Craig. There are 9 wonderful en-suite cottages, each with a sitting room area with bar and open log fireplace. On offer is a wide range of activities, including game drives, walks, horse and camel riding, scenic flights and bush camping.

What They Are Doing

Grevy's Zebra at Lewa

Wildlife

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy has become a major conservation beacon in Africa, with tourism at the very heart of wilderness and community survival.  In addition to many research projects, the conservancy formed the Anna Merz Rhino Sanctuary, which became very successful with both black and white rhino breeding, as well as a grevy’s zebra breeding program, with one-fifth of the world’s grevy’s zebra now resident at Lewa.

Community

Staff with Camels, Lewa

Lewa Wilderness only recruits from local communities and themanagement team is Kenyan.  Lewa is one of the biggest employers in the Eastern Province, and the staff undergo annual training in job-specific fields, including medicine and bush craft. In addition to the conservancy’s 200 full-time staff and up to 100 part-time staff, an additional 150 people are employed in tourism enterprises, furniture- and carpet-making workshops, and farms within Lewa’s boundaries.  The conservancy also provides financial and managerial assistance to schools, clinics, and water projects along its boundaries and beyond, into the remote northern districts.

Making Furniture at Lewa

There are five target primary schools close to Lewa’s boundary. One – the Lewa School - was built by the conservancy, which continues to provide educational materials and other support. Four other schools receive material support and participate in the conservancy bursary program, whereby the best-performing children from each of the schools is supported through secondary school.

The conservancy has built and maintains a clinic, which provides medical care to its employees for free, and to its neighbors at cost.  It also supports a variety of local self-help groups, including farm development groups and a women’s group initiative, for which it helps raise funds for microfinancing. It has also built a meeting hall. More than 200 women benefit from this program, which was started in 2003.

Safaricom Plus Rhino

The Safaricom Lewa Marathon, which began in 2000, aims to raise funds for conservation and community projects around the Samburu, Isiolo, Laikipia, and Meru areas.  The marathon has attracted more than 750 runners from all over the world to take part in the full and half marathons, with an additional 100 children competing in the five-kilometer fun run.  Over one million dollars has been raised through the runs and various fund-raising events. This money is distributed to a range of projects in northern Kenya, including  conservation, education, healthcare, and community development.

From a Lewa Cottage

In Their Own Words

“The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy works as a catalyst for the conservation of wildlife and its habitat. It does this through the protection and management of species, the initiation and support of community conservation and development programmes, and the education of neighbouring areas in the value of wildlife.”

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Filed Under: Africa, Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, Health, Kenya Tagged With: anna merz, furniture, grevy's zebra, microfinancing, rhino

Africa’s Eden, Gabon

November 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Africa’s Eden is the result of Dutch entrepreneur Rombout Swanborn’s dream. In 2001 Operation Loango was started by his Société de Conservation et Dévelopement to develop low-impact tourism and to start research, park management and education activities in national parks in western Central Africa.

The idea was that tourism could and should pay for conservation. After the project was completed, in 2007, Africa’s Eden started to offer fly-in safaris to its Loango and Evengue lodges and three other camps in Gabon, giving outsiders the chance to experience the unique, diverse, and intact ecosystems in and around the park. Africa’s Eden also offers a range of tours and exclusive accommodations in the islands of Sao Tomé and Principe. Profits generated by Africa’s Eden are reinvested in the area to ensure continued and economically sustainable protection of the national parks.

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Filed Under: Africa, Community, Conservation, Environment, Gabon, Health Tagged With: evengue, gorilla, loango, rombout swanborn, safari
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