Episode 8: How Tourism-Based Charities In Kenya Are Adapting to COVID

Children learning new COVID protocols at AmericaShare’s Harambee Community Centre in the Mukuru slum of Nairobi. Photo by Eric Rosen.

Although Kathryn was locked down in Kenya during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, neither she nor Eric thought they would be traveling to the country again anytime soon. When Eric was invited on a trip there in December by Micato Safaris in partnership with the Elewana Collection of lodges, though, he jumped at the chance, reassured by both organizations’ stringent COVID health protocols.

Rhinos are thriving in Kenya’s Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, but their survival depends on tourism dollars. Photo by Eric Rosen.

The wildlife viewing at Elewana Tortilis Camp in Amboseli National Park and Elewana Sand River Masai Mara alone would have been worth the journey. Even more interesting, though, was spending time at Elewana Kifaru House in the biodiverse Lewa Wildilfe Conservancy, which was founded decades ago to bring the rare black rhino back from the brink of extinction. There, Eric spoke to the CEO of Lewa, Mike Watson, about how the conservancy is persevering through tough financial times with projects like rhino anti-poaching activities to protect the area’s animals, and micro-lending programs that help local women support their families.

Students hard at work preparing for exams at one of the Harambee Community Centre’s two libraries. Photo by Eric Rosen.

Back in Nairobi, Eric visited Micato Safaris’ philanthropic arm, AmericaShare, which runs a community center in one of the city’s largest slums and underwrites the education of hundreds of students each year. He spoke to AmericaShare’s country director, Albanous Gituru, about all the efforts the organization has been making throughout COVID to ensure that its students remain connected to educational resources during these challenging times.

For more information on what’s going on right now with these two worthy causes in Kenya, check out @micatosafaris and @lewa_wildlife.

On a trip to Kenya in December, Eric discovered how wildlife conservation and community education projects depend on tourism dollars, and how they have adapted to the challenges of the pandemic.