Kogelo Tours aims to promote sustainability in Kenya through cultural tourism.
Sustainability is
The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
However,
Both of these factors will have large and unprecedented consequences on how future generations will meet their basic needs. Something we must start to take into consideration.
The issues Kenya faces
A fundamental driving force for the issues above is the exponential increase in population growth, and one of the main areas of rapid population growth is in developing regions such as Africa.
Africa is rich in resources with much potential, unfortunately, Africa is also the poorest region in the world accounting for 70% of global extreme poverty.
This has
- Putting a huge strain on resources and the fundamentals of sustainability
- Leaving vast numbers of people uneducated and without access to healthcare or clean water, making it increasingly difficult to get out of the poverty trap they are stuck in.
- Without access to education, healthcare or family planning, women continue to have large families, bringing yet more children into poverty and increasing the population further.
- It leaves behind potential future leaders who could, if given the right opportunities, help us fix these very issues.
How can tourism help sustainability?
In 2015 the UN released the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by following these
Like the SDGs, we at Kogelo Tours have taken a holistic and community-led approach to sustainability. We have focused our attention on a small region in western Kenyan with the hopes that our projects will spread and diffuse throughout the region as seen in many other places such as the Millennium Villages Project.
Kogelo Tours goals are to;
- Help the village by promoting and generating social inclusiveness, employment and overall poverty reduction
- Help keep children in education, reducing fertility rates and potentially developing minds which could help us tackle world issues.
- Respect and embrace the local cultural values, diversity and heritage
- Encourage peace and security.
You can read more and get involved in our Projects here
Inspiring Others
Our work has also inspired previous clients to take action. One of which Neil Kirby, after a trip to Kenya in 2010 went on to found The Red Rubber Ball Foundation.
What started as a personal commitment to support one young boy (John), this has developed into our biggest programme, now supporting 148 children through secondary school.
The Benefits of Sustainable Tourism
By
- Supporting local businesses and trade which increases local economies.
- Female empowerment and employment. The tourism industry employees almost twice as many women as other sectors. This increases the ‘cost’ of women staying home to raise children and consequently lowers fertility rates
- Provides opportunities for cross-cultural encounters that promote peace by breaking down barriers and building bridges between visitors and hosts
- A vehicle for protecting and restoring biodiversity Raises financing for conservation of heritage, wildlife and the environment
Read More about sustainability
Read more about how the UN is tackling sustainable tourism here
Read more about how the Millennium Villages Project is addressing extreme poverty in Africa here
Read more about the UNs 17 Sustainable Development Goals here
Such creative thinking!
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