Ant’s Hill - South Africa

The objective of the Ant Collection is to create sustainable tourism by means of conserving the environment around us, enriching the lives of our guests and staff alike as well as uplifting the community and providing as much skills development to the locals as possible.

Ant’s Nest and Ant’s Hill have chosen ACO as our local charity. We have over the last couple of years donated cash and meat directly for the soup kitchen as well as over 100 blankets for impoverished families. We were recently informed that there is a growing demand to contribute more towards the education of many of these under privileged children and have taken it upon ourselves to donate monthly towards the funding of education. The lodges also sponsor 3 local children by paying for their education at the Waterberg Academy which is the local private school.
 

Conservation projects and eco management:

• Sable Breeding project
• Leopard conservation
• Birds in Reserves Project
• Disease free Buffalo
• Waste disposal
• Natural Fuel
• Biological Fly control
• Wetlands

Apoka Lodge - Uganda

Apoka Lodge is the first employer in the very remote northern Karamoja region. The staff, all Karimajong (traditionally nomadic herdsmen), were hired from the local communities and were given on site training in an industry they had no experience in. After intensive training they now work as safari guides, relief managers, chefs, waiters, mechanics etc.
 

Benguerra Lodge - Mozambique

There is a community of approximately 1,000 people on Benguerra Island and a portion of every park fee goes into Trust for these islanders. The Lodge works very closely with this Community to protect and preserve this idyllic corner of the world. It is understood that without the goodwill and support of the local Community no management strategy for this area can succeed – hence the establishment of a body representing the interests of the Government, the Community and the private sector.

This body is called Khani Kwedho – meaning “Our Home”, and its purpose is to:

Elsa's Kopje - Kenya

Governors' Camp - Kenya & Rwanda

Governors’ Camp Collection Responsible Tourism

For over 35 years Governors Camp and its clients have been working hand in hand with its community neighbours running community support and conservation programs that have delivered real results. In many cases, we are now working directly with the sons and daughters of community elders that they started working with 30 years ago. Governors Camp is extremely proud of its achievements. We will continue to work quietly on projects that our community neighbours ask us to support.

It is the policy of Governors’ Camp to support local communities in our area of operations. They recognize that in order to conserve these unique wild areas of Africa, the local communities must benefit directly from Tourism.

This portion of the website gives you just a flavour of some of our projects, partners and the work we are doing. We would welcome your support – come and see what we and our partners are doing on the ground, and if you are interested, speak to us about how you can contribute towards our goals.

Click through the following projects below for more on our Responsible Tourism Projects

Jaci's Lodges - South Africa

Joy's Camp - Kenya

Loisaba Wilderness - Kenya

A 100 square metre ranch in the middle of the Laikipiak Plateau in Kenya.  We meld the needs of man and nature by providing a refuge for native species of animals which also allows the local Laikipiak Masaai and Samburu tribes the opportunity for employment and sustainable agriculture.  Improving the quality of life for these traditionally marginalized tribes while assuring a vast wilderness for endangered species such as our Grevy's Zebra has been a dream now coming to fruition.

LCCF Website
 

Mowani Mountain Camp - Namibia

Onguma Safari Camps - Nambia

Robin Pope Safaris - Zambia

The Kawaza School Fund, a private fund started by Robin Pope Safaris in 1988 to assist in improvements at Kawaza Basic School, one of the local schools in the Nsefu Chiefdom. Huge progress has been made at Kawaza and they have expanded to assist three more schools. They now work with Kawaza Basic School, Nsefu Basic School, Kapita Community School and Katapilla Community School.

The main goal of the Kawaza School Fund is to create an entire school system within the Nsefu Chiefdom to make it possible for the children of this area to attend school through to grade 12, have enough skills to take advantage of the many jobs offered by the tourism industry in this area and not have to leave their homes to seek employment. To achieve this end the Kawaza School Fund is constructing classrooms and teacher houses, sponsoring teachers to improve the student/teacher ratio, providing school supplies and sponsoring students at secondary school level.

In addition to improving the access and quality of education in the Nsefu Chiefdom, the Kawaza School Fund also assists the local community with medical issues. Several students have missing limbs and require prosthetic legs to ensure their mobility. The Kawaza School Fund assists with transport and costs.

Through kind donations from clients at Robin Pope Safaris and word of mouth they have been able to make all of this work possible. Robin Pope Safaris provides for all administrative costs of running the Kawaza School Fund, so all donations go directly to projects in the Nsefu area.

Reforest Nsefu
In the Nsefu Chiefdom firewood has become scarce. Many of the women must rise at 04h00 hours to start the long walk to collect firewood, only returning late in the morning. As the distance increases for the collection of wood for fuel and building materials it has become necessary for action. The Reforest Nsefu project aims to plant several thousand trees per year.

The trees will be a combination of indigenous species, fruit trees, and agro-forestry species. As these new trees grow they will provide food, income, fuel and building supplies as well as increasing the number of established indigenous trees. With the increased awareness of environmental responsibility, Robin Pope Safaris aims to become more carbon neutral, through planting trees to offset the carbon emissions. Through the Reforest Nsefu project Robin Pope Safaris will be able to decrease their environmental footprint. Aardvark Safaris has pledged their carbon offset charge to the Reforest Nsefu Project. This contribution has enabled us to employ an extension officer who will be responsible for involving the community in the planting and continued care for the trees. Chinyu Nursery has been working hard to have enough seedlings for the project, and to ensure the longevity of the project the community will begin their own nurseries.

In addition to the tree planting projects, we are also looking into trying out more efficient cooking methods. A simple stove made from three bricks and a clay pot creates hot and fast heat source. This will significantly reduce the amount of firewood that is used by each household and therefore reduce carbon emissions as well as slow the deforestation process.

 

Semliki Lodge - Uganda

Semliki Safari Lodge has been involved in the community since its inception in 1996, from contributing to the building of a library in the local village to taking school children on nature tours of the reserve to teach them about wilderness and conservation. Most recently the lodge has participated in setting up a health project to benefit the women of the surrounding communities, with a particular focus on pre-natal health and nutrition. All the lodge staff are sourced from the local community as well, and many of their crafts are sold in the lodge shop.
 

Tongabezi - Zambia

Tortilis Camp - Kenya

• Tortilis supplies the local community with unlimited access to clean drinking water, and the staff operate a provisions shop for them. They have also built separate washing facilities specifically designed for the use of visitors from local communities.
• Tortilis has developed funds to start building a new primary school and clinic, and hopefully a secondary school at a later stage. The aim is to build a school far away enough from the park boundary so that increasing incidences of human-wildlife conflict can be prevented, and it will also relieve the current pressure on the park from the community.
• More than 60% of the Tortilis staff come from the local community. This results in approximately 40 staff members (Maasai) who are able to care for up to 400 - 500 family members and friends.
• Tortilis conducts walking safaris with local Maasai guides so that guests can also be educated on the Maasai culture
• Tortilis Camp tries to educate the local community on human and wildlife conflict issues using the financial & practical support of the Amboseli Tsavo Game Scout Association
  
  (ATSGA). The ATSGA recruits and trains local Maasai men to become Game Scouts. The goal of the game scouts is to achieve security of their environment, to educate their own people about human/wildlife conflict, and to ensure the continued safety and security of the flora & fauna of Amboseli by enforcing National Park rules.
   

Wolwedans - Namibia