The People Who Serve You

Jeff Cammack of Safari Guide Africa recently wrote a piece "When on Safari, Don't Forget the People" and it struck a chord with me. Jeff makes the point that it's important to think about your drivers, guides, trackers and other staff that serve you, wash your clothes, and cook your meals. Think about the impact of your safari on their community; as Jeff says "in the villages and towns nearby the camp are ordinary farmers, who have had to come to terms with living near a park where most people (including their own governments) care more about the animals than them. This is because tourism is big business in Africa, and you are both part of the problem and the solution." Read more of Jeff's post here.

As a tourist you can help by making the right choice about the company you choose to go on safari with. Also learn a little about the Maasai, Samburu, Himba or San culture before you go. The Maasai's traditional way of life conflicts with the concept of private reserves, fenced in to protect the wildlife. Fences may keep wildlife in, but it also keeps Maasai livestock out of traditional grazing land. Farming villages along the edges of national parks can get extra income from selling crafts to tourists, but they also have to deal with wildlife destroying their crops. Civilians fleeing war close to Virunga National Park in the DRC need firewood to cook food so they can feed their children. But they're destroying the precarious habitat of the few remaining mountain gorillas left in the world. Zimbabwe is in economic ruin and rhino poaching is totally out of control, but you can't blame the desperate villager who is paid a few dollars to go and commit these awful acts.

These issues are complicated, but when you're on safari, talk to your guides and trackers, ask them about their families, find out where they're from. On a recent safari in South Africa I spent a long time chatting with my guide David. David is a father of five, his family lives in town and he sees them for a week every month. Like many South African men, he worked in the mines for 10 years. South Africa's gold mines are the deepest mines in the world. David lived in single-sex barracks along with other members of his tribe (this was during Apartheid) and he worked 8 hour shifts every day in tunnels that were more than 2 miles deep. No breaks for food, protein powder to keep up energy levels, and a shot every 6 months to stay healthy (David wasn't sure what exactly was in the shot). He said "It's like a war down there". "If a man is killed we didn't stop, just carry on working until the end of the shift and then take the body out". Chasing after rhinos and facing down buffalo must seem like a piece of cake compared to cutting rocks all day in a crammed, hot, dark space for ten years. (More than 160 workers died in mining accidents in South Africa in 2008).

A basic definition of responsible travel is that it allows local communities to earn a fair income from tourism; it supports conservation; it supports local community initiatives; and it tries to limit the environmental impact of the vacation itself. There are some excellent safari companies that try hard to do a balancing act between keep their clients happy, provide them with a quality holiday, and make sure the environment and people they visit are not negatively affected. So when your enjoying the animals on safari, don't forget about the people.

_{Image of David, Guide/Tracker in Timbavati Game Reserve, South Africa}