Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
In helping build this community centre you will be directly supporting the Muzeina tribe of Bedouin. A thriving community is one of the most important ways that the Bedouin can retain their environment, cultural heritage and traditional way of life, which is being threatened by mass tourism and lack of water.
The school, which aims to assist the Bedouin community of Nawamis to maintain a sustainable desert economy linked to the ancient provision of camels (to merchants in the past, nowadays to tourists). The school and associated well will enable to community to remain at Nawamis the whole year round, instead of having to live in the neon-strip of the coastal tourist resorts, which in turn minimises dependency on the mass-tourism, which is inherently unstable. You will be able to meet the children who you will use this school, and will be working alongside the Muzeina tribesmen.
We are a non-profit making organisation, and apart from our overheads, your money goes towards supporting these projects. Wherever possible we source all food, local guides and transport for this trip from the Muzeina Bedouin, so providing important employment and income. We do not use tour operators, but work directly with the Bedouin themselves. Payment is generous by local standards, and our suppliers are regarded as equal partners in our endeavours. It is our policy to practice fair trade at all times, and we encourage visitors to engage with local people and share in camp site duties.
On this trip our environmental impact is kept to a minimum. All of our building work uses local stone and minimises the use of cement. We camp outside, and use camels instead of vehicles wherever possible. Where vehicles are used they are restricted to well-used tracks to limit damage to the delicate flora and fauna. We provide advice on water usage in the desert, recommend biodegradable soaps and use compostable toilets (or just the sand!).
In our office we print our brochures on 100% recycled paper using vegetable based inks, and where possible we send information to customers by email.
The main immediate beneficiaries of this trip are the nomadic Muzeina tribe of South Sinai, who through your help are able to sustain the environment, infrastructure and cultural heritage that allows them to carry out their traditional way of life.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
