Selous Safari Company

As part of the Selous Safari Company’s ongoing commitment to the environment, they are involved in several partnerships with local communities and conservation organisations.

Jongomero Ruaha Community Project

Jongomero Camp is a partner in a variety of community projects and would like to invite you to join them in their endeavour to improve the quality of life of our surrounding villages: In doing so, you will not only be contributing to the livelihood of an impoverished community but also to the plight of Nature Conservation in general. The future of Africa’s wild places ultimately lies in the hands of the people of Africa, those dwelling alongside these fragile ecosystems. By showing the communities surrounding Jongomero, that they too benefit from the existence of safari camps and associated wildlife viewing, will no doubt, bode well for the future of Africa’s wild places. The closest town to Jongomero Camp is Iringa, but there are also fifteen villages within close proximity to the park’s boundary. As with most rural African areas, there is a huge need for support and help. At Jongomero, they believe that the best way to support these communities is by empowering certain individuals with the necessary educational skills that will enable them to further empower the community by enlarge. In this regard, they believe that education is the key long-term and sustainable solution to these impoverished communities. It is for this reason that they are searching for funding for the following projects:

Primary School project aims at supplying young children with uniforms and exercise books. To provide these commodities costs only $20 per child per annum. In so doing, they aim at helping in still an ethos of education at a young age, which they will further follow through on, by way of a Secondary Schooling project.

The Secondary School project is probably the most vital as this is where true educational foundations are laid and motivation through financial support is most required. Secondary schooling consists of Forms 1 through to 4 and costs $140 per scholar per annum. Alternatively, a donation of $560 will cover the entire secondary schooling costs of one scholar. Secondary schooling is only offered on a boarding basis and the above amounts cover both the boarding and tuition fees.

The Wildlife College Scholarship Program is a project that Jongomero are very excited about. The Pasiansi Wildlife College offers a one year course that is considered to be a good benchmark for those pursuing careers in Nature Conservation. It is the hope that they will be able to sponsor students that will eventually return to work inside Ruaha National Park, either for Tanzanian National Parks or in the realm of Ecotourism. The philosophy attached to such a project lies in the belief that the future of Africa’s wildlife, ultimately lies in a cultivated appreciation within the communities surrounding these ecosystems. The tuition for this course is $800 per student.

The Disabled Fund is a fund that Jongomero plan to start in the near future (as soon as funding is available) and aims at supporting the disabled members of the community in whatever way they can. To date, there has been NO support or aid for the disabled and Jongomero are hoping to make a tangible contribution in this area. A needs assessment will need to be conducted on a case by case basis depending on the type of disability. They would like to source as much funding as possible, before conducting these analyses, in order to avoid creating a false sense of hope. One area where Jongomero know they would like to contribute is in helping the lame receive a customized tricycle wheelchair from Dar es Salaam which costs $190.

Selous Safari Company camps throughout Southern Tanzania – Jongomero Camp, Selous Safari Camp and Ras Kutani.