Tag: Community

Peace House Orphanage

GIVING BACK

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Posted on by Michael

By 2010, an estimated 20 million children under the age of 15 will have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Without parents to support them, many children are often forced to abandon school. Without an education, orphans face a bleak future with little hope. A survey of over 400 households with orphans in Tanzania reported that almost 40% could not cover even basic expenses. The most common difficulty was covering school fees, including those for materials and uniforms. Africa Dream Safaris is proud to be a major sponsor of the Peace House, a charitable organization that was founded to help AIDS orphans in Arusha, Tanzania. Monthly donations by Africa Dream Safaris help the Peace House provide vulnerable children with the opportunity to receive a quality education in a nurturing environment. Financial support by African Dream Safaris focuses on the Peace House School, which is a unique boarding school for over 240 AIDS orphans. Peace House is a U.S. based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In the spirit of giving hope, Peace House is creating a brighter future for Africa’s orphans, vulnerable children and their communities through nurturing care, dynamic education, technology research and business development. The Peace House Boarding School for Aids orphans was opened in 2007 and is located on land donated by the government of Tanzania. Courses and activities at the Peace House School will include a focus on creative problem solving and entrepreneurial business development skills. A key goal is for Peace House School graduates is to become job creators – young people who can build a sustainable future for Tanzania. Many of our guests are extremely moved by their experience in Africa, not only by the beautiful natural resources but also the graciousness of the culture. Generally speaking Tanzanian people are bright, eager to learn and inherently happy, even in circumstances of extreme poverty. A consistently reoccurring question from returning clients is how to “give back” and make a tangible difference in the lives of real Tanzanian people. Herein lies just such an opportunity, and we invite you to participate if you feel called to do so as the Peace House is still in dire need for adequate supplies to support their school. Please see the Peace House’s wish list below. If you bring supplies with you, we recommend distributing them among your regular clothes and luggage to reduce the change of being asked by Customs to pay duty. Alternatively you may wish to donate towards the purchase of curriculum specific materials or classroom items such an overhead projector. You can rest assured that Africa Dream Safaris takes great care in making sure your gift is put directly to work. Guests travelling with Africa Dream Safaris are welcome to tour the facilities at Peace House. This excursion can be conducted with an Arusha layover or on the last day of your safari if departing on the late night KLM flight.

Peace House Wish List:

  • Academics
  • Notebooks
  • Pens
  • Overhead projector
  • Ruler
  • Novels (Age appropriate (pre-teen) / topic appropriate)
  • Back packs
  • Colored pencils
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Serengeti Cheetah Project

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Posted on by Michael

Africa Dream Safaris is a proud sponsor of the Serengeti Cheetah Project. Our quarterly donations help fund the Serengeti Cheetah Project’s ongoing conservation efforts, which include preserving the approximately 210 remaining cheetahs that inhabit the Serengeti Ecosystem. The Serengeti Cheetah Project was initiated in 1974 by George and Lory Frame, when virtually nothing was known about cheetahs in the wild, and information on their conservation status was limited. Since then, it has been responsible for collecting demography data to monitor the Serengeti’s critically endangered cheetah population.

The initial research conducted by the Serengeti Cheetah Project focused on establishing the basic natural history of cheetahs. Today, the project continues to collect demographic data but focuses almost entirely on issues of conservation significance. Its overall goal is to preserve the long-term survival of cheetahs in the wild. Africa Dream Safaris now helps fund their ongoing conservation efforts. In turn, periodic reports are prepared exclusively for Africa Dream Safaris by the on-site researchers for the Serengeti Cheetah Project. So you won’t find this info anywhere else!

We’ve asked Laura Simpson, the current field researcher for the Serengeti Cheetah Project, to focus on individual cheetahs and tell us about their daily lives and their relationships with each other. It is a fascinating soap-opera out there! We think you will really enjoy the real-life drama and adventures of these awesome animals as they live, hunt, and raise their families in the harsh African wilderness.

You’ll get to read current updates, stories and photos of the world’s fastest land-mammal, all in one of the most exciting settings in the world, the Serengeti National Park! You’ll also share in the on-site adventures of the dedicated researchers who are determined to save this beautiful cat from extinction in the wild. Sometimes touching, sometimes humorous, their stories are always entertaining and I’m sure you will enjoy them as much as we do!

Laura does a great job explaining her work and the overall mission of the Cheetah Project in these reports!

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Serengeti Lion Conservation

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Posted on by Michael

Africa Dream Safaris is a proud sponsor of the Serengeti Lion Project. Our funding helps to protect lions against diseases such as canine distemper through programs aimed at vaccinating domestic dogs on the periphery of the Serengeti. We are delighted to announce that Africa Dream Safaris was honored with the Tanzania Conservation Award specifically because of our work with the Serengeti Lion Project. This prestigious award is presented by the Minister of Tourism in conjunction with the Tanzania Tourist Board.

Twenty-six resident lion prides residing in and around the Central Serengeti have been continuously studied since 1966 when George Schaller began his groundbreaking field study. The Serengeti Lion Project was hence created, which is the longest continuous field study ever conducted on a large mammal. One female member from each of the 26 prides is radio collared so that they can be tracked and studied on a weekly basis. George Schaller’s initial study turned out to be a true landmark, not only because he worked out so many aspects of their social lives, but because his findings made it clear that lions did not limit the population size of their prey species. It was not necessary to persecute lions and other carnivores in order to ensure large populations of herbivores. The Serengeti could persist forever as an unspoiled spectacle of predators and their prey. Although we might take this notion for granted now, park wardens used to shoot predators and even eradicate some species from game reserves.

George Schaller began and conducted the study from 1966 to 1969, followed by Brian Bertram from 1969 to 1974, Jeannette Hanby and David Bygott from 1974 to 1978 and lastly Craig Packer starting in 1978. After 1978, the Serengeti Lion Project was taken over by the University of Minnesota under the directorship of Craig Packer. Two field biologists are stationed in Seronera 365 days a year to monitor and continue this long-term study. For a $500 per group donation, we can arrange a field talk by the current field biologists at the Lion House in Seronera (Central Serengeti) where you can learn first-hand about the lions of the Serengeti.

Africa Dream Safaris helps fund the Serengeti Lion Project’s ongoing conservation efforts. In turn, periodic reports are prepared exclusively for Africa Dream Safaris by the on-site researchers for the Serengeti Lion Project. So you won’t find this info anywhere else!

Since there are MANY lion prides in the Serengeti, we picked 6 specific study prides to focus on. Talk about having the inside scoop! These Serengeti Lion Project researchers live, sleep, and work out in the bush every single day, so they are able to offer invaluable information about the location and adventures of our favorite lions. Reading like a soap opera at times, we think you will also enjoy the real-life drama and adventures of these awesome animals as they live, hunt, and raise their families together in the harsh African wilderness.

So what new adventures have our favorite lions been up to lately? View these reports to find out!

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Foundation for African Medicine & Education

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Posted on by Michael

Tanzania is among the 50 poorest countries in the world. Poverty at this level means little or no access to reliable diagnostic and medical care, particularly in rural areas. High child and maternal mortality rates plague the country. An estimated 1 out of 9 Tanzanian children die before their 5th birthday. Sadly their deaths are often the result of preventable or treatable diseases, including malaria, diarrheal disease, acute respiratory infections, low-birth weight and AIDS.

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