Covid Africa Relief Fund
With ecotourism on pause, wildlife and communities across Africa are missing one of their primary sources of employment, funding and development. Staff and their families are suddenly without income, schools and clinics have lost their support, and game rangers are operating without much-needed funding essential to protecting wildlife. These areas desperately need our assistance immediately to help alleviate the growing crisis.
Any amount makes a big difference and will be hugely appreciated. As a gesture of our gratitude, for any donation of $250 or above, we will give you a $250 credit toward a future trip to Africa. **
Supporting Communities
Ecotourism supports so much more than just the staff you see at the lodge. It gives farmers and artisans a market for their wares. It gives mechanics, handymen and seamstresses employment. It gives mothers clinics to treat their babies and schools to educate their children. It’s not uncommon for staff members to be supporting dozens of family members on their wages, so the lack of income creates a domino effect that is spreading far beyond our industry.
Protecting Wildlife
Africa’s iconic and extraordinary wildlife is at immense risk without ecotourism. Without the protection of game rangers and the efforts of conservation teams, we are at risk of losing countless animals to illegal poaching and habitat degradation. Years of hard-won progress is being wiped out in mere months.
Where will donations go?
100% of donations to the Mango Safaris Covid Relief Fund will go to supporting our longstanding partners across Africa:
We are currently featuring our Top 20 Camps and Lodges Across Africa. We have chosen these camps not only for their guest experience, but also for their commitment to the ideals of ecotourism – supporting local community development and protecting wildlife and natural areas. The donations will be allocated to their non-profit foundations to fund their well-established projects. Scroll down for more information on the different organizations.
ANY AMOUNT HELPS - whether you donate $10, $100 or $1000, it will make a profound impact on countless lives. The amount below is customizable, simply type in the amount you'd like to donate.
The Organizations
The Mango-Bisate Forest
In partnership with the Wilderness Trust, we are restoring agricultural land to native forest along the boundary of Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. The long-term goal is to donate the reforested land to the national park to expand that habitat available to gorillas and other wildlife.
The Wilderness Trust
An independent non-profit entity associated with the Wilderness Group, supporting projects and researchers that address the needs of existing wildlife populations, seek solutions to save endangered species and provide education and training for local people and their communities.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
A world-leading conservation organization that protects the wildlife and communities of the Lewa Conservancy. Elite anti-poaching units protect one of Africa’s most successful rhino strongholds, monitor wildlife populations and track far-reaching elephant migrations to inform better conservation plans across Kenya. Communities are supported through education and micro-credit initiatives.
Great Plains Foundation
A foundation committed to creating a bright future for some of the most endangered wildlife, fragile ecosystems, and remote communities in the world. They currently manage over one million acres of land with strategic, comprehensive and action-oriented conservation efforts. They also support the communities living among the wildlife that are integral to the success and long-term sustainability of their conservation efforts.
The Nomad Trust
A non-profit associated with Nomad Tanzania that supports a wide variety of projects for community development and wildlife conservation, ranging from supporting a home for girls escaping FGM to tracking lions in community lands to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
Rhino Conservation Botswana
A conservation group with the sole aim to prevent the extinction of black and white rhinos in Africa. To achieve this goal, they are working with the Botswana government and partners including Wilderness Safaris and Rhinos without Borders, to rescue rhinos in peril and bring them to the safe haven of the Okavango Delta. Once translocated, they work with their government partners to monitor the rhinos and keep them safe.
Singita Grumeti Fund
A non-profit organization protecting wildlife, operating an anti-poaching K9 unit and supporting communities in the western corridor of the Serengeti ecosystem. Adaptive, holistic conservation management has helped store a once badly degraded ecosystem into a thriving one that has expanded the habitat available for the Great Migration and countless other animals.
Natural Selection Foundation
Help support Natural Selection’s mission to make a difference in wildlife conservation and in the lives of people living sustainably alongside wildlife areas. Projects range from desert giraffe conservation and monitoring leopard population dynamics to community education programs and village library sponsorship.
Conservation South Luangwa
A non-profit working with community and conservation partners for the long-term survival of wildlife and habitats in South Luangwa under the custodianship of the Zambian people.
Conservation Lower Zambezi
They are an NGO that has been operating for over 25 years, working with the local park authorities to protect the wildlife and integrity of the Lower Zambezi valley.
African Bush Camp
A foundation committed to partnering with rural communities in vulnerable wildlife areas. By creating opportunities to empower these communities through education, community empowerment and conservation, they improve their quality of life and achieve long-term conservation successes in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia.
Kicheche Community Trust
Their current project, The Conservancy Guardian, concentrates solely on covering critical conservation costs: ranger salaries, welfare and medical needs, predator monitoring and patrol costs. All donations are being matched dollar for dollar by the Band Foundation, up to $500,000.
Ranger Care
Funding salaries, training, equipment and medical care for the anti-poaching rangers protecting the endangered mountain gorillas of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. They also provide financial support for the families of rangers that killed in the line of duty.
Sarara Foundation
An organization designed to pick up where ecotourism revenue left off, ensuring that Samburu communities are supported and that wildlife continues to thrive in the 850,000-acre Namunyak Community Conservancy in northern Kenya. This includes the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, which rescues orphaned baby elephants and hand raises them to be released back into the wild.
Mala Mala Reserve
A black economic empowered ecotourism enterprise that operates in partnership with the local N’wandlamhari Community as a shareholder in the business. Beyond employment at the camps, they also run a micro-finance program for small businesses and community infrastructure development, provide a stipend to all households from the land lease fees, and allocate the tourism levy to education and job skill training programs.
** Trip credits cannot be applied to current bookings and must be used within 24 months. There is no limit on how many $250 trip credits can be earned, but only one $250 trip credit can be used per person on any given trip.
