We have employed over 90% of our staff from the local community. Moreover, we receive most of our supplies from the local market and this has helped to keep both the small and big businesses in our environs alive. Our itineraries include community and cultural visits by guests where they get to learn more about local people, their culture and language besides enjoying a cultural performance by the locals. Earnings generated from the performances and sale of souvenirs are expected to improve the livelihood of the local community. We are the main sponsors of Diani Childrens Home (DCV) and Makobe school for disabled children. These projects have also attracted sponsorship and funding from some of our clients who have visited them.
Our code of conduct to clients provides them with clear guidelines on how to minimize negative impacts while visiting sensitive areas, for instance by avoiding off- track driving in order not to trample on vegetation and maintaining appropriate distances from wildlife. It also prohibits feeding the animals or making sudden noise while in the parks. In our low season we organize short safari trips to the national parks for local children. The idea behind is to provide local people/children with opportunities to learn more about environmental/wildlife conservation. These talks create awareness, understanding and appreciation of wild animals and their habitats. The idea is to educate young people to take care of these natural resources in the future. Our itineraries include visits to various protected areas in Kenya such as the game parks, reserves and conservancies. Further to the information we give in the program, we have instructed our driver guides to give more information to our clients on the natural and cultural features of every place visited and the role they play in the conservation of local ecosystems particularly the endangered species.
We always emphasize to our clients that they ought to respect the local culture in order not to harm it and also to minimize negative impacts. We aim to keep on participating positively in building cultural pride and confidence amongst the Masai and the Samburu and indeed giving these cultures a national image. As part of our corporate social responsibility, together with other sponsors we are supporting two projects in the local community. We are the main sponsors of Diani Children’s home and also we pioneered the establishment of Makobe School of Disabled children which has since received even more sponsors through Goafrica Safaris and Travel. We are working closely with some international volunteers who have been sending us donations to support local people. For instance, in the year 2011 we had some scouts from Scotland who visited Makobe School for disabled children and developed a football field and also made donations in form of quality football jerseys and foot balls. Some of these were supplied to various local football clubs.
