In East Africa, tourism is not only about visitors coming to see beautiful places—it also plays a big role in protecting nature and culture.
Take Tanzania for example. Tourists pay entry fees to visit Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Mount Kilimanjaro. That money is used to protect wildlife like lions, elephants, and wildebeests. It also funds rangers who stop poaching and protect endangered species such as black rhinos. Without tourism, it would be harder for the government and communities to afford this protection.
Tourism also helps local culture stay strong. In Tanzania, many tourists visit the Maasai people to learn about their traditions, dances, and way of life. The money from cultural tourism projects goes directly to these communities, helping them build schools and health centers while keeping their traditions alive.
In Rwanda and Uganda, gorilla trekking is another good example. Visitors pay for special permits to see mountain gorillas. That money is shared with nearby villages and used to conserve the forest. Because of this, local people see the value in protecting gorillas instead of cutting down the forest or hunting animals.
In Kenya, cultural villages like the Maasai Mara and Samburu communities welcome tourists who want to experience African traditions. This not only provides income but also encourages the younger generation to continue practicing their cultural heritage instead of forgetting it.
So, in East Africa, tourism is like a bridge: it connects the world to Africa’s natural wonders and cultures, while at the same time giving local people reasons to protect their environment and traditions for the future.
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Published by Mbilinyi-Wildlife
Conservation has always been a major part of my life. Growing up I revered leaders like famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau and conservationist Jane Goodall, and I dreamed of becoming a swayful wildlife conservationist one day. Some of my fondest memories are of exploring the Amani forests with my college's friend, learning about both the awesome power of nature the threats to its well being.
I ultimately pursued a career in wildlife management at college of African wildlife management -Mweka and my friends too become a conservationists. Together, we founded Saviours of Wildlife with our slogan that Who pays for wildlife and who benefits?.
I recognize there are many conservation organizations doing incredible work on behalf of our planet and the many species who call it home.
I wanted to create an organization that complemented and collaborated with these organizations, so we chose to focus on protecting lesser-known endangered species.
My speech
If there’s one thing we know about life on Earth, it is that all of our diverse animals, plants, soil structures and waterways are interconnected in complex ways, many of which we cannot fully understand. In order to maintain ecological balance, we need to focus on all of the puzzle pieces–and this is becoming harder to do as we lose more and more species to climate change and human activity.
Saviors of wildlife focuses on lesser-known species because they are our early-warning signals for larger issues facing the ecosystem. For example, amphibians have a tremendous impact on their environment. They are not the face of environmental conservation in the same way as elephants,rhinoceros or gorillas, but because of their size and genetic makeup, these creatures are much more sensitive to climate change.
For example, saviour of wildlife is working to save amphibians, reptiles but also supporting efforts of conserving big wildlife like Rhino, giraffe and elephants through conservation education and capacity building to wildlife practititoners.
Saviours of wildlife is also working to save the world’s most endangered marine mammals. Only about 30% are left in the wild due to them becoming entangled in gill nets set for illegal fishing activities.The marine creatures are the most endangered Species.
Our planet is facing a biodiversity crisis. Last month , I was fortunate to share comment with Jane Goodall to discuss this critical issue. She reminded the word that she spoke to me 5 years ago “don’t forget, every single one of you makes a difference every single day.”
As we sit on the brink of losing thousands of more species, throwing our future into jeopardy, I am now asking you to make smart decisions .Please join us in reversing this crisis and making our collective future more secure contact
Brighton Mbilinyi, saviours of wildlife,college of African wildlife management.
brightonfrancis91@gmail.com +255756 525739
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