We are the lucky ones. Extraordinary Journeys’ founders, team members and clients have the extraordinary privilege of engaging with far-flung regions and communities across East and Southern Africa. From the waves crashing against Cape Point, the south-western tip of the African continent, to Kenya’s sweeping acacia-studded savannah landscapes, and the thousands of miles between, we are welcomed with open arms and shown the true magic of Africa time after time.

Extraordinary Journeys is founded on the principle that responsible tourism will change lives for travelers and locals alike. Thus, it’s crucial to us to return the favor. Simply put, it’s part of our job to work together, with friends and community partners across the globe, to support community and conservation efforts in the countries where we operate. Having lived, worked and traveled extensively throughout the continent since the 1960s, it’s really where our heart is. And we personally know every one of the operators of the organizations that we support. Each organization is carefully vetted to ensure long-term sustainability, ethical procedures and commitment to community-led development.

In 2016, we joined forces with Empowers Africa, a non-profit focusing on human empowerment and wildlife conservation in Africa, to streamline our donation process and thereby increase our impact on the causes we are passionate about.

Here is a brief refresher of just a few of the organizations that we support due, in large part, to your support.

Big Life Foundation (Kenya and Tanzania) employs hundreds of Maasai rangers to protect 2 million acres of wilderness in the Amboseli-Tsavo-Kilimanjaro ecosystem of East Africa. Their efforts have led to over 1,800 arrests since 2011 and dramatically reduced poaching rates.

Cheetah Conservation Fund (Namibia) has seen great success with their innovative Livestock Guarding Dog Program. This program reduces human-wildlife conflict by providing trained guard dogs for livestock protection against cheetahs in the area, thereby lowering predation rates of livestock and decreasing the incidence of shooting and/or trapping cheetahs by local ranchers.

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (Kenya) is the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world. DSWT spearheads conservation efforts throughout East Africa, including rescuing orphaned elephants employing charter flights, ground transportation and rescue teams.

Nurturing Minds and Secondary Education for Girls Advancement (Tanzania) provides high-quality education focused on developing strong values, healthy self-esteem and independent thinking skills to empower students to effect change for themselves, their families and their communities.

In addition to supporting these programs, Extraordinary Journeys works with camps and lodges that are committed to conservation and sustainability efforts.

We seek out properties that build sustainable camps and focus on energy-efficient operations, such as using natural or low-impact building material. We work with owners and operators who actively engage in projects like the reintroduction of indigenous plants; the relocation of endangered species; the employment and training of their own game rangers; and the expansion of protected areas through private concessions. We also work with organizations that support local schools, health clinics, microfinance projects and adult education programs.

To learn more about how you can support these causes, please contact Schuyler Tompkins at [email protected].