MENU OF GIVING from Sasaab Lodge

Sasaab Lodge is heavily focused on sustainability and giving back. It is at the heart and soul of everything they do. Their ethos is to be a low impact, community and conservation orientated to the core and to have a significant positive influence on the people and environment around them.

More and more of their guests are interested in travelling to sustainable destinations, and getting involved with conservation and community projects on the ground. With that in mind they have a created a ‘Menu of Giving’ to show their guests how they have already contributed to their programmes by choosing a stay at their lodge. The menu also describes how one can get more involved or even contribute to one of their community and conservation projects directly.

HOW A GUEST’S STAY CONTRIBUTES:

 

  • Conservation fees – Each guest pays a US$ 40 conservation fee towards the running of the Westgate Conservancy on which Sasaab is situated. There are over 600 families living in the Westgate Conservancy and the conservation fee contributes to the daily running costs of the conservancy and wildlife management, as well as proving clean water, building schools and maintaining dirt roads. Bringing tourism to the area has for the first time allowed the community to see the value of having wildlife in their midst and helped enormously to reduce human-wildlife conflict. As a result wildlife is increasing in the area year on year.
  • Samburu National Reserve fees – Each guest contributes to the running of Samburu National Reserve by paying a US$ 70 park fee which is an essential contribution to the running costs of the reserve to secure its unique wildlife for future generations.

WHAT GUESTS CAN TAKE PART IN:

 

Guests are able to visit the Ewaso Lions research centre and meet the team protecting lions in northern Kenya, or have dinner with conservationists Shivani and Jeneria from the Ewaso Lions team to find about more about the challenges of lion conservation in Kenya.

 

They can also visit the Grevy’s Zebra Trust research camp, visit the women’s beading co-operatives at Westgate Village, or call in on a local school or Samburu village with their guide for an authentic experience. During the weeks when they are performing guest can join the SAFE Samburu team on one of their educational performances at a marketplace or village.

 

If guests would like to make further financial contributions they are able to:

 

  • Make a donation to one of Sasaab’s health projects such as a dental mission or eye mission to offer medical help to those unable to afford it
  • Make a donation to their School Food Programme which provides free school meals to over 500 children every day in the schools close to the lodge.
  • Make a donation to the SAFE Samburu project which focuses on community issues such as FGM, HIV and early marriage.
  • Buy seed for grasslands rehabilitation.
  • Sponsor a high achieving student to attend secondary school through our sponsorship and mentoring programme.

 

If anyone would like to know more about Sasaab’s Community and Conservation Programmes, or to visit Sasaab and see the projects yourself, please contact [email protected].

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