We run our safaris in keeping with the following guidelines. TIES (The International Ecotourism Society) defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” This means that those who implement and participate in ecotourism activities should follow the following principles:
GROW AFRICA A sustainable & educational food-growth project empowered by Jenman African Safaris
‘Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach that man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime’ Running safaris and day-to-day operations in a sustainable and responsible way has always been of great importance to Jenman Safaris. In our experience over the years we have encountered so much beauty on the African continent, and yet there is also enormous poverty all over Africa. During my last year’s trip to Zimbabwe, the level of poverty that I saw hit home, and made me realise that some very important work needs to be done to address this issue. We at Jenman Safaris believe that we have the ability to make a difference. In the past, we have seen many charities with good intentions that don’t reach the people in need, or those who only make a short-term difference. Many tour operators who are based overseas want to get involved in sustainable education and interaction, but are not able, thus making sponsorship and charity-aid the only options. Being here, on the African ground, we believe that Jenman African Safaris can get involved in a different way, and to see change happen at a grass-roots level. Based on the famous quote above, we are aiming to support vegetable and fruit gardens around Cape Town – teaching school-kids how to operate a sustainable and self-sufficient vegetable garden providing education, tools and seeds. At a later stage we are planning to expand this project to other towns in Southern Africa. In combination with the above mentioned project, Jenman Safaris has also invested in their local guides. Some of our guides have attended an extensive language course over several months. They are now on the road, practicing their language abilities with our clients before they will be able to guide German guided departures themselves. We have named this project Grow Africa empowered by Jenman African Safaris - hoping to make a difference! Garth Jenman, Managing Director
8
• • • • • • •
Minimize impact Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts Provide direct financial benefits for conservation Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people Raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climate Support international human rights and labor agreements
Local services Where possible we use locally owned and run services and businesses. • Staying in locally owned and run accommodation in preference to foreign owned hotel chains • Buying our food and supplies from local markets and stores • Supporting local business and income by using locally owned shops and restaurants, our guides are all African and know the areas they guide in as well as the areas and cultures in which you will travel Responsible actions We encourage clients through our guides, literature and actions to act in a responsible way towards local people, customs and the environment. Where possible, we support accommodation providers who follow specific eco-tourism principles. For new destinations, we take into consideration environmental, cultural and economic issues. Low impact By keeping our group sizes small we ensure that our operations do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. Small groups require smaller and less obtrusive support vehicles. By biking and walking, we travel in a low impact manner, both on the environmental, cultural and economic issues. Environment We take responsibility for our actions in maintaining and improving the environment • Minimizing water and atmospheric pollution and misuse • Minimizing litter and disposing of litter in the best way possible • Employing environmental considerations into all trip and business planning • We upgrade and service our vehicles on a regular basis so that we minimise the pollution on the environment • We also encourage our guides to use gas to cook with instead of burning firewood from the areas where they stay overnight. The clients all assist in keeping their travelling environment tidy and clean Community support A large percentage of our team is from a local community. We support local communities by visiting villages and schools on tour where the clients can make donations or where they can purchase handmade products. Some groups arrange to stay for a period of time in the villages and get involved in community work projects. We can arrange township tours and dinners for travellers, therefore supporting the local community and economy. Conservation The activities we arrange help to impart knowledge about wildlife, and educate and enable people to experience and get close to nature. Most of our tours include visits to National Parks which charge a conservation fee and in some cases, a large portion of the entrance fee is given to the local community. In consistently supporting these National Parks throughout Southern Africa, East Africa and Madagascar, we help to further the conservation in the respective areas.