| Tourism with a heart
Purpose
Our project of humanitarian tourism arose from the combination of two factors :
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The need to finance our educators’ expeditions in the most isolated Maasai villages.
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The increasing demand for an authentic, responsible, and useful form of tourism.
We thus developed the idea of organizing expeditions from Kenyan towns, gathering some travellers, an educator, and a small team providing the logistics. The cost of these expeditions, financed by the travellers, is completely dedicated to their direct financing (vehicles, meal, and staff). The association makes no profit.
The open-air tutorials we have given until now have been highly welcomed, and proved to be very effective. Some of them even led to positive initiatives on behalf of the local women to organize “life without excision.”
Statement of principle
The expeditions, subsidized by the travellers, seek to support the fight against female genital mutilation among the Maasai population of Kenya. Our open-air tutorials take place in conditions similar in comfort to a tent safari, in areas where populations live according to an intact traditional culture.
We are very careful not to be “lesson-givers” : our whole action relies on local competence, and we act with the highest respect for the Maasai culture. This point is particularly important for the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM), which requires a deep knowledge of the cultural context, and true humility. Our guests are also expected to abide by these principles of respect.
In turn, we do not ask questions about our guests’ motivations, which can range from simple friendly curiosity to a strong, moral commitment.
In addition, we think that there is no contact without exchange. If we can help the Maasai populations, whether through information or through improvements in their quality of life, they, in turn, move us with their serene force, their dignity, their extraordinary knowledge of the natural environment, and their strong family and social values.
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