Karma Kenya Travel and Tours

History

Karma Kenya Travel and Tours was born out of a need for sustainable income to support programs run by Namunyak Maasai Welfare (NMW) in the Transmara district of Maasailand. NMW is a non-profit, non-governmental, non-religious organization which strives to bring a positive difference to the indigenous Maasai community and their neighbors in regards to the care of orphans, healthcare, education, economic empowerment, natural resource management, and poverty alleviation through sustainable development, micro-credit enterprises, quality education for adults and children, and local capacity building. NMW helps to break the cycle of despair and hopelessness common among the rural poor and offers palpable solutions to poverty and isolation through a focus on self-empowerment and interdependence. For more information on NMW or ways to donate or volunteer directly for NMW, visit www.villagevolunteers.org.

Karma

Travelers around the world are becoming increasingly conscious of the economical, social, and environmental impact they make. Because profits go directly to support NMW projects, Karma Kenya enables travelers to experience Kenya while knowing full well that doing so opens the doors of hope for thousands. Karma Kenya is about a human outlook to travel - that while enjoying yourself, you are putting a smile on the faces of children who would otherwise not have had a chance at quality education; you are securing springs near villages where women would otherwise have to carry river water across long distances; you are giving widows an income by purchasing their wonderful beadwork; you are creating harmony between communities by opening shared resources that are used equitably. While you are out having the time of your life, you are giving poor villagers a chance at theirs.

Kenya

Traveling with Karma Kenya brings a fulfilling spirit of spreading wellness, of enjoying the natural beauty of Kenya and her people and that spirit of adventure that lurks in all human beings. Karma Kenya will take you to places where you would almost pet a lion or kiss a giraffe. We bring to you a package that is designed to satisfy your curiosity, to thrill and to surprise, and to bring the best side of travel through a cultural immersion that almost guarantees culture shock (especiallly if you choose to visit places without electricity or running water). You are also invited to visit NMW programs in the villages which you are directly helping to support, and be humbled by the spirit of the people who can change your perspective on life. That's something no other travel group can ever offer.

Linda Szeto

Although my first visit to Kenya was only for two short weeks in June 2007, it was enough to open my eyes to the momentum of positive change that one organization such as Namunyak Maasai Welfare (NMW) can evoke in the face of poverty and governmental corruption. After two more trips to Kenya since then (and counting!), I know without a doubt that the community served by NMW is responding in positive ways, particularly in regards to education. Transmara District schools run by the government are generally abysmal, with low standards for achievement, crumbling walls, poor sanitary conditions, and under-qualified teachers. Before Sirua Aulo Academy (SAA) opened its doors, children in this district had little to no chance at passing qualifying exams at the end of their 8th grade year, which determines whether they can attend secondary school (which is equivalent to high school in the U.S.).

SAA is the primary focus of our Karma Kenya initiative. Funding is required not only for the construction of classrooms and dormitories, but also for the proposed clinic, library, and adult education center upon the same plot of land... and ongoing staffing and supply needs. On my June 2008 trip to Kenya, I visited the school which had just opened, and saw the students voraciously attending to their lessons and devouring the first set of books for the future library, which I had the honor to supply through friends' donations. As a speech-language pathologist, I was interested in children with disabilities, whom Emmanuel and his staff immediately accepted into their classrooms. Though that may seem mundane to a Westerner's lens, it is monumental in light of a culture that still believes children with disabilities are possessed by evil spirits, and kept hidden within the home. I also met parents who were fully invested in their children's education, which again deserves notice when considering only a handful of years ago, families refused to send their kids to school so that they can help with the farming at home. NMW and its SAA are providing concrete evidences of a slowly improving quality of life in a marginalized society. Like Greg Mortenson, author of "Three Cups of Tea" and co-founder of the Central Asia Instutite, Emmanuel Leina Tasur believes in education as the key to alleviation of poverty and is fighting hard to provide it.

On my October 2008 trip to Kenya, I was privileged to join Emmanuel in exploring a few sites for Karma Kenya travelers. That was an absolute blast, full of scenic beauty, cultural insights, guided experiences, and a sense of Karma Kenya's, and therefore Sirua Aulo Academy's, potential for success. I hope you'll enjoy the tour, sightseeing, and safari experience as much as I have, and take pride in knowing that your money has gone to brighten the future of the Maasai and neighboring communities.

Thank you,
Linda

Barry Daniels

Webmaster -
actually I just wanted to see myself on the site hehe.
I'll remove this before going live