Microfinance

Tourism Dollars Can Benefit Local Families

Microfinance projects offer individual families the opportunity to benefit economically from tourism. As members of the conservation and business community we understand business techniques and work to pass on this knowledge to local communities and local people.

A sampling of microfinance programs Deeper Africa supports include:

Vegetable Supply for Tourist Lodges and Camps

Local villages bring high quality, organic vegetables to tourist lodges and camps. Land is donated by the village and a cooperative provides labor. Profits benefit both individual families and the village.

Sailing with Local Fishermen

Village fishermen at Matemwe Beach, Zanzibar go out sailing with their fleet of dhows every morning. Join one of the fishermen out on the water to learn and observe traditional fishing. Our guests pay a fee of $65 US Dollars, with $40 US Dollars going to the fishermen and $15 US Dollars going to the village.

Women's Craft Projects

We support women's groups in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda in making and marketing traditional craft items. Some of those craft items are made in local designs and some have more international appeal. Many of the women sell their craft items in tourist venues, but the more sophisticated programs offer craft items on the internet or for sale in town shops. Take a look at Banana Boat in Uganda and at BEADS for Education in Kenya.

Recycled Bottles into BEADS

Our Tanzanian camps send glass wine bottles for recycling into glass beads that are used by the Shanga Project. The Shanga Project is located in Arusha and employs 14 staff, all who are deaf and mute or physically challenged. Shanga trains and teaches their staff new skills and pays good salaries so their quality of life improves. Shanga makes a variety of attractive necklace designs for sale. Learn more about Shanga's program by visiting their website at www.shanga.org.

Gorilla Porters

Villagers near Bwindi and Parc' Nationales des Volcans hire out on a daily basis to act as porters for tourists while they are gorilla viewing. We support these community programs and encourage our guests to purchase porter services. The gorillas live in close proximity to villages and villagers. Programs like this one ensure that villagers have an economic interest in the gorilla's preservation.

Game Scouts

Anti-poaching efforts are promoted by paying salaries to local people who patrol tribal land with high populations of wildlife. Scouts patrol on foot and by bicycle with binoculars and cell phones. Evidence of poaching and charcoal burning are reported to government wildlife rangers.

Turtle Patrolers

Local villagers are paid as guards to protect crucial Hawksbill Turtle resting grounds. This year's hatching had 100 young turtles dig out of their sand holes and leave the beach for the sea.

Ethical Tourism