Kenya family volunteering & safari

Highly Commended in the Responsible Tourism Awards 2007, Best Volunteering Organisation category, we own our ground operation, which means we have complete control over the integrity of our projects and the quality of the experiences we provide. We additionally subsidise our philanthropic objectives through additional funds raised by our Charitable Trust.

Your families’ participation on this tour provides a significant contribution to indigenous communities, environment and wildlife in the Shimba Hills. Our school development plan has enhanced educational facilities in the area by building school desks, providing clean water for the children, sourcing instructional materials, and encouraging environmental conservation. Achievements include the construction of a new water supply at Mukurumuji village and an initiative at Stephen Kanja School to construct a school kitchen which is used to prepare food daily for 110 nursery children to sustain them through their school day.

Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary is a community-based initiative that was launched in 1994 to reduce the increasing human elephant conflicts in the area and provide protection for the now endangered elephant. More than 200 families have voluntarily contributed land to the reserve, agreeing not to farm this important elephant habitat. Today they live nearby and manage the sanctuary, earning more from tourism than from farming. Valuable revenue from ecotourism and gate entrance fees has also enabled the community to build school classrooms and enjoy a steady water supply and better roads. Although the Sanctuary is relatively small, it is has been home to the highest density of elephants (per km2) in Africa.

Our Team in Africa originate from the host country and their passion for sustainable development of their communities and environment is inspiring. Camp managers such as Patrick in Kenya are the local guys that make our experiences unique. They provide advice on conduct, language training and skilled Project Managers such as Sammy will make camp feel like home. This interaction creates a unique bond between the community and leaves you feeling a guest not a tourist. 100% of fresh produce and project materials are sourced from sustainable local supplies and group sizes are kept small to reduce any negative impact. Our programmes combine Community work and Wildlife Conservation in an uncompromising way

Our commitment to the environment does not stop in Africa our UK office is dedicated to saving energy and have systems in place to deliver shredded recycled paper to local pet shops for bedding!

In short, our commitment to local people and the environment is not a by-product of our programmes but core to everything we do - we adhere to the Responsible Tourism code of practice and encourage everyone we work with to do the same.