Custom Safaris Gives Back
Custom Safaris is committed to giving back to the local communities our clients travel to. We take pride in the relationships and connections we have with these incredible people. Custom Safaris Trust was created to develop projects dedicated to improving the lives of the local people through financial support for education, health care, economic empowerment opportunities for women, food and water. Custom Safaris Trust has built two schools and awards annual scholarships to outstanding students for secondary boarding school. Custom Safaris Trust is proud to support the Lewa Lion Monitoring Project on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Every Custom Safari includes authentic cultural interaction and a visit to a school or local community. We can create a unique experience for those who have a special interest and would like to make a difference.
Education
Custom Safaris Trust has built two primary schools in the Maasai Mara and Saburu areas of Kenya for grade school children in those communities, as well as providing books and school supplies for school children multiple times throughout the year. Custom Safaris Trust also awards annual scholarships to outstanding students for secondary boarding school. If you are interested in sponsoring a school child or would like to donate books or school supplies, please contact Linda Friedman at linda@customsafaris.com.
Economic Empowerment Projects
Custom Safaris Trust is dedicated to helping empower the women in one of the villages in the Maasai Mara. The women have two main economic empowerment projects – the Maasai Beading Project and the Women’s Chicken Exchange. The Maasai Beading Project provides these women with supplies to create beaded items, such as bracelets and necklaces, and sell them in the local market and to Custom Safaris clients that visit their community. The Women’s Chicken Exchange provides these women with funds to maintain and operate a chicken coop, raise chickens, produce eggs, and sell the eggs at the local market. If you are interested in visiting the village or contributing to these projects please contact Linda Friedman at linda@customsafaris.com.
Lewa Lion Monitoring Project
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization aimed at protecting threatened species within Lewa, an area in Northern Kenya that holds 12% of Kenya’s black Rhino population, and has become a model for private land wildlife conservation. The Lewa Lion Monitoring Project was developed to try to help research and protect the lion population in Lewa. Custom Safaris has donated tracking collarc to LWC to put on their lions to help better serve this wildlife population. If you would like to donate a lion tracking collar please contact Linda Friedman at linda@customsafaris.com.
K.I.C.K.
Abby Ohrnstein, the 17-year old daughter of Customs Explorations Managing Director Kathy Obbish, has started a soccer jersey-recycling program called K.I.C.K. – Kickin’ It for Children in Kenya. K.I.C.K. will donate gently used youth soccer jerseys to various schools and communities in Kenya. The mission of K.I.C.K. is to give children in Kenya the opportunity to use the soccer jerseys to form their own teams and have fun playing soccer. If you have youth soccer jerseys you would like to donate, please contact Abby Ohrnstein at KICK4kenya@gmail.com.
Pack For A Purpose
We are proud members of Pack for a Purpose, an initiative that allows travelers like you to make a lasting impact in the community at your travel destination. If you save just a few kilos of space in your suitcase and bring supplies for area schools or medical clinics in need, you’ll make a priceless impact in the lives of our local children and families. Please click here to see what supplies are needed in our region:
http://www.packforapurpose.org/docs/countries/kenya/custom-safaris.shtml