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Projects
Wilderness Africa is interested in preserving, as much as possible, the rich ecology of Africa.
Many places where wildlife populations are particularly high are also home to some of the poorest people in the world. Until recently, many wildlife reserves were managed in a way which was antagonistic to these people. In the past, national parks were gazetted and the human population expelled, often with little compensation and no part in the economic benefits from such activities as tourism. It is not surprising to find today that, in some areas, the local people are at loggerheads with conservationists.
However it is encouraging to find in very recent times that this trend is being reversed, and some people: tribal populations, conservationists, governments and other organisations are starting to work together.
People are beginning to realise that, especially in poverty-stricken countries, the key to the survival of wild and natural habitats is dependent on those who live in and around the area. Those people must receive direct economic benefit from wildlife, which will mean that they, more than anyone, become the protectors of their environment.
We have initiated efforts in two village areas bordering the Serengeti National Park where we camp on village entrusted land. We pay the village an annual and a daily camping fee. With this money the village financial capability has literally turned around, and they have been able to improve the village clinic and primary school. We also employ local Maasai warriors as guardians and trackers while we are in these areas.
Education
We are especially interested in promoting and improving education. Here lies one of the key elements in improving the future prospects of the livelihood of African people. By investing in education there is hope that Africans will be better equipped to influence policy in their own countries, plan for the future, and preserve their wildlife areas - a unique natural resource.
While on safari we sometimes visit a school, and some of our guests feel they would like to help educational opportunities for the people in the areas they visit. In the past we have assisted with projects in three Tanzanian schools by direct donations in this way. Two of these are in pastoral Maasai tribal areas bordering the Serengeti national park, and a third was outside Ruaha national park in remote central Tanzania.
Tungamalenga Primary School, Iringa Region – We provided school materials (text books, chalk, pens, exercise books) and built accommodation for teachers.
Ol Lolosokwan Primary School, Arusha Region – We built windows and doors in the classrooms, and provided school materials.
Piyaya Primary School, Arusha Region – We provided for school desks, benches, and school materials.
While donating to schools in this way helped, managing the finances became difficult, mostly because our guides are not often in these remote areas, and so cannot supervise the use of the funds.
As a result we have decided to support and to channel any funds we receive through two professional small scale non-profit organisations whose focus is education in Tanzania. Please visit their sites by clicking on the links below if you want to know more.
Kamitei
The Kamitei Trust supports school development in rural areas of Tanzania. This is a highly efficient small organisation that provides material (such as school facilities) and educational support (in the form of teacher training and scholarships) for rural schools. Strict financial criteria and controls in the administrative area and the school have to be in place beforehand. Once qualified for support Kamitei generally offers a matching scheme, whereby the community must raise a certain percentage of the funds required for projects in order to receive funds from Kamitei.
St Jude's
The School of St. Jude is a donor-funded English Medium School in Arusha, Tanzania. It primarily serves orphaned and vulnerable children from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds, by providing them with a full education from the beginning of Primary to the end of Secondary at no expense to the student. The school blends the best of Western and Tanzanian instructional methods to instill critical thinking and high moral Christian values in students.
Other Organisations
Mkombozi
We are supporters of the Mkombozi Trust based in Arusha. Mkombozi helps and encourages street children in Arusha and Moshi to get out of their predicament. Mkombozi helps them go to school, offers them healthy meals, and trains useful skills to teen-agers to improve their prospects of employment.
Maajabu
We also support Maajabu. Maajabu is a roving cinema, taking documentary films to outlying areas. Films are often shown in Swahili (the most universal language in east Africa), to educate villagers about health and the environment, entertain them and also give them an insight into life elsewhere on the planet. Maajabu is very popular, and if we wish to book Maajabu to show a movie in an outlying area, we often have to book way ahead! There are times where guests decide to do this prior to a safari, and partake in the experience!
Carbon Tanzania
For those of you wishing to offset carbon emmissions for your journey to and from Tanzania, and for the duration of your safari, you may donate funds to planting trees in Tanzania. We support Carbon Tanzania, whose mission is to do just this, and to generate rural employment in Tanzania by caring for the trees planted.
Other Projects
Recces (Reconnaissance trips)
Every now and then our guides embark on a "recce". This is when they head off by vehicle or on foot, with very basic supplies to scout out a new area. Often these journeys kindle an interest in helping the people living in remote areas to benefit in some way from the wild resources they have. Our guides like to pretend this is hard work to their wives and families, but anyone can see from the twinkle in their eye that they thoroughly enjoy these trips and wouldn't miss them for anything! Sometimes they write up about these adventures in our News section.
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