By traveling with Cheesemans’ to Tanzania, you are participating in a nature-based tourism experience that is key to enhancing and preserving the wildlife of Tanzania and the way of life for its people. For example, our operator chooses only lodges and camps that share the mission to benefit the surrounding ecosystems as well as the human residents of the region, and a portion of every booked safari goes directly to an Arusha-based orphanage and other people in need within the community. Therefore, you can feel confident that the cost of your safari is an investment in Tanzania’s people and wildlife.
Ecotourism in Tanzania is foundational in protecting wildlife, creating sustainable income, and providing for vulnerable people. Our local operator and thoughtfully selected suppliers, camps, and lodges contribute to the mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts, anti-poaching initiatives, wildlife monitoring programs, climate change adaptation projects, and tree-planting programs. They have also worked to introduce Alternative Income Generating Activities (IGAs) to communities living in conservation areas. These include sustainable businesses such as beekeeping, tree nurseries, horticulture, and poultry farming. Additionally, they support hospices, schools, and orphanages and engage in conservation education activities with women and children for increased awareness of wildlife crimes and habitat destruction that pose threats to the land. Ecotourism is the key to creating harmony between Tanzania’s ecosystems and human residents.
Biocultural Conservation Institute – This nonprofit organization seeks to empower local communities to connect to and protect their native wildlife through education, research, and livelihood enhancement. BCI works directly with community representatives in East Africa to fund conservation work. The projects they support are proposed, designed, and implemented by community representatives. They review proposals for clarity in scope, budget, methods, and long-term sustainability before providing funding directly to partners to carry out the projects. They serve as an accountability partner remaining in touch with community partners to evaluate and monitor project progress and impact.
The Kesho Trust – This NGO supports communities in developing a greater awareness of the value of protecting the environment while finding innovative ways to improve sustainable livelihoods. The Kesho Trust, with the goal of empowerment through partnerships, has three priorities: community-based conservation, economic and community development, and conservation education.
Serengeti Watch – This organization was founded in 2010 to combat the construction of a major highway that would have fractured the Serengeti National Park and disrupted the Great Migration. Their continued work seeks to promote the mindset that conservation, rather than an “animal versus people” mentality, is the key to development. They use an integrated approach including education, women’s empowerment, radio programming, and community engagement to protect the Serengeti.