Community Service

Based on our values, we aim to support community service by identifying areas for our clients to interact with and give back to the local communities they visit, as well as working with facilities that promote conservation of the natural environment and heritage. By working closely with with travelers, hoteliers, local communities, experts, and institutions, we can significantly reduce the gap between the rich and the poor by directing revenue gained from tourism into heritage and environmental preservation.

Causes of the Year

Every year we pick a unique cause to highlight which meets some of the characteristics of sustainability and tayyab values which encourage responsible travel.

2020

This year our highlight cause is to help support actions from community groups to mitigate against the impacts of COVID-19. To help mitigate the impact of new coronavirus on the local economy, Halal Safaris has started a #StayHome #TravelTomorrow campaign to help mitigate the impacts of coronavirus that asks future travelers to buy from local businesses through our EcoSoko project, or donate to charities in Lamu in exchange a 15% discount to travel anytime until end of 2021. Find out more here.

2019

Every year we pick a unique cause to highlight which meets some of the characteristics of sustainability and tayyab values which encourage responsible travel. This year our highlight cause is Pedal to Hajj. Pedal to Hajj group consists of four cyclists who will be cycling through Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia on their way for Hajj from June 10, 2019 in order to raise funds for the education of needy children who can not afford basic education in Kenya.

Year round Projects

The year-round key areas of community service we support are education, heritage preservation, environmental conservation, and livelihood development.

Education

In education, we aim to support both secular and non-secular education in local communities. Currently our key partner for our main destination of Lamu, Kenya is Ikhlas Foundation. Ikhlas Foundation is a non-political and not for profit organisation whose mission is “to inspire and assist in the advancement of education, livelihoods, health and living environment in Lamu, Kenya”. By curating stories and trips that preserve tales of positive of Islamic history which can be shared in local schools, we aim to give a a higher self-confidence over time by these youth who are usually marginalised and lack representation both locally and internationally.

Heritage

Every journey you take with us makes a difference by contributing directly to heritage preservation in communities we visit. For Lamu, we aim to support a heritage conservation fund and institutions that work to protect critically important sites and monuments, and preserve intangible cultural heritage. We also aim to promote a responsible model of tourism for Lamu to preserve it’s heritage and monuments using our internal expertise. This includes, but is not limited to: Our founder, Samia Omar, was the former County Executive for Lamu in Culture and Tourism, and our key advisor and VIP guide to Lamu, Mr. Omar Bwana, who is the former Deputy Director for the National Museums of Kenya and has worked in cultural preservation for almost 50 years.

Environment

We prioritise working with hotels and partners that share our values in conservation. This includes hotels and lodges that contribute to sustainable projects in their local communities. and prioritize sustainability and are principled in their responsibility to nature. Currently, our trips to Masaai Mara focus on lodges that partner with MAA Trust, such as the Mara Naboisho Conservancy. The Maa Trust is a non-profit organisation based in community-owned conservancies in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. They work to “increase the benefits of wildlife and conservation to Maasai families so that they appreciate, and contribute to the protection of wild animals on their land, and unite communities by involving them in conservation at a management level.” We are however looking to grow our destinations and therefore areas of support.

Livelihood Development

At Halal Safaris we believe that if the local community, especially women and youth are involved and engaged in tourism activities, conservation, and cultural heritage, it can be instrumental in promoting socioeconomic and livelihood development. We therefore prioritize working lodges and hotels that prioritize recruitment of local labour and professionals, and those that support local livelihood projects and initiatives for women and youth. While the MAA Trust, and our local partner in Lamu, Ikhlas Foundation, both work in this sector, we are looking to expand our networks with more institutions as we expand our destination. This community-centred approach is designed to benefit all members of society.

If you have a lodge, facility, or cause that matches one of the above values in community service, please contact us so that we can consider including you in one of our itineraries.