Kenya yoga holidays

Our policy and our purpose is to make the Earth and everyone on it happier and healthier by whatever means are viable and available to us through our daily operations.

The camp for this Kenya yoga holiday is entirely staffed by local nomads from surrounding manyattas and the coast villa is staffed by local villagers. Both operations have brought considerable prosperity to their respective communities. We have medical policies for all our staff and their families. We give loans to start up businesses. e.g our head man has borrowed money to buy a taxi and hire a driver. He repays without interest as he earns. One of our night watchmen has borrowed enough money to start a chicken farm for his family at home. Several others have borrowed money to buy land. Everyone has bought a mobile which provides them with a mobile office.

Everything is purchased locally not only to eat but also to build. We buy our fish direct from local fishermen. Our vegetables come from organic farms up-country, mangos from the village trees, machicha (local spinach) from the market. We use locally made Kikois as furnishings as well as other local cotton and we incorporate art effects such as locally painted birds and fish mobiles made from flipflops washed up on the beach. Plus, when we do an activity in the village, we give money to the community for each person. Different members of staff attend different on-going training programmes which expand their skills e.g. We sent two cooks on a catering course for managing large numbers. Two gardeners are on a compost making workshop. Another member of staff was sent on a mechanical course. Educational talks and visits are also arranged e.g. We take our staff and their families on boating and forest expeditions and picnics and into the game parks so they can see what the tourists see.

Visits are suggested to projects such as the butterfly project in which people are paid to rear butterfly larvae to sell in a sustainable manner. This not only provides employment but gives the community a reason to preserve its forest habitat and an appreciation of it. Visits that infer either direct or indirect benefits to the environment are suggested such as trips to the snake farm (involved in anti-venom research), turtle talks, snorkelling, butterfly rearing, market shopping, and local dance ceremonies. Our camel safaris are Masai hosted. Our bird-watching guides are people whose local knowledge has been backed and amplified by certified training courses.

There are no buildings on our game ranch location, only tents which dismantle during the wet season. We plant trees and create soil drainage to prevent erosion and plant vegetation which has attracted an abundance of insects, birds and wildlife. We minimize water usage by using one bucket from the river per shower. We prevent pollution by using solar pumps and lamplight. We recycle our waste into compost. We smash tins and let them disintegrate. Animals converge on the game ranch because there are no fences and migratory routes are honoured plus our Earth policies ensure plentiful grass. The animals feel safe because they are never attacked.

At our coast location, we use salt water in the toilets and collect rain water from our roof. We make compost with fallen leaves, kitchen waste, local cow manure and manage. Inorganic waste is managed as above. We put notices above all switches asking people to conserve energy by turning out their lights on leaving their rooms. All beach front property owners in Watamu are responsible for collecting rubbish from their own sea frontage. We have a big, on-going drive to keep our own road sides and staff quarters rubbish free and clean.

Information and guidelines from the Kenya Wildlife Services are displayed and strictly followed at all times ensuring that we cause no damage to the coral reef ecosystem which we are privileged to have access to. Whenever snorkeling, swimming or diving activities take place marine park tickets are purchased providing a direct benefit to the parks conservation efforts. A minimal disturbance policy is in place for our surrounding ecosystem. This ensures that no vegetation, coral, shells or animals are removed or unduly disturbed by our actions or decisions.

We give a monthly donation to Watamu turtle watch and we encourage guests to purchase fund-raising goods and adopt turtles or nests, raising significant amounts of money for this organisation. For our guests and staff we give talks and have guest speakers from The Turtle Watch or The Snake Farm. We support local bird guides, we visit farms producing fuel from cow dung, and we educate regarding over-grazing.

An information pack is issued on arrival ensuring that guests act in a respectful and socially sensitive manner and are also able to learn something of the culture of local people. Groups are kept small (max 11 people) to minimise disturbance.