We are very excited to begin working with Green Belt Safaris to give our clients traveling to Kenya the opportunity to engage with local communities and learn about the work of the Green Belt Movement (GBM), a world renowned conservation, women’s empowerment and community development organization based in Kenya.

What is the Green Belt Movement?

images

The Green Belt Movement was founded in 1977 by Wangari Maathai, the first African woman and first environmentalist to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (in 2004). What began as a grassroots tree-planting program to address deforestation, soil erosion, and a lack of water is now one of the most prominent grassroots women’s empowerment organizations in the world and an advocate for human rights, good governance, and peaceful democratic change. To date, more than 45 million trees have been planted across Kenya to protect critical watersheds, restore thousands of acres of indigenous forests, and empowered thousands of women and their families.

What are Green Belt Safaris?

Green Belt Safaris is an eco and community based tourism program started by the Green Belt Movement. Green Belt Safaris offers travelers a unique opportunity to learn about Kenyan culture and village life, conservation and development directly from the communities GBM has worked with for almost 40 years. The revenue from the program provides a sustainable source of income for GBM and the participating communities (a portion goes directly back to the communities for projects they select).

Kenya___DSC_6496

Green Belt Safaris offers a 1 to 5 day cultural and conservation programs that can include overnight stays in the home’s of local community members. Guests visiting GBM communities have the chance to participated in tree plantings, interact with community members and get a first hand at everything from water harvesting techniques to the micro-credit activities supported by GBM.

Two Day Program

Green Belt Safaris

On the two day (1 night) program you leave Nairobi in the morning and drive to one of several communities which are 1-2 hours from Nairobi. A welcome and introduction is followed by lunch with community members. In the afternoon you will learn about the community’s income generating and food security programs-including diary farming, kitchen gardens, water harvesting and planting indigenous food crops- and participate in a tree planting.

In the evening a bonfire gives you and your hosts a chance to interact and get to know each other and learn about the culture of the area from an elder in the community. After the bonfire you head to your host family’s house for dinner and to stay overnight. If needed a Green Belt Safaris interpreter will stay with you to help communicate with your host family.

You will spend the next morning with your hosts helping with chores such as gathering firewood, cooking or working on their farm. After lunch you say goodbye to the community and head back to Nairobi or on to the next part of your trip!

cropped image

Green Belt Safaris offers travelers a truly invaluable opportunity to learn about day-to-day life in rural Kenya and the work of one of the most successful grassroots organizations in the world and to contribute to the development and sustainability of both. We are so thrilled to be working with them and to be able to offer this experience to our clients.

For more information email [email protected]