Asilia’s got SDGs

At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015 world leaders adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“This agreement marks an important milestone in putting our world on an inclusive and sustainable course. If we all work together, we have a chance of meeting citizens’ aspirations for peace, prosperity, and wellbeing, and to preserve our plane.” UNDP Administrator Helen Clark noted.

Asilia’s Sustainable Development Initiatives

Working in superbly rich wildlife habitats that exist cheek-by-jowl with human poverty, Asilia Africa is acutely aware of the fine line that must be walked between enhancing environments and empowering people.

According to the World Tourism Organisation tourism accounts for one in eleven jobs worldwide and generates 10% of the world’s GDP. It’s, therefore, a significant player on the sustainable development agenda.

‘We work to empower people and places,’ says Clarissa Hughes, Positive Impact Co-ordinator at Asilia Africa. ‘By this, we mean that we see people and nature as inseparable partners. The development of one must mean the development of the other.”

The 17 SDGs include no poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, decent work and economic growth, responsible consumption and production, life on land, peace, justice and strong institutions, and partnerships towards these goals.

Operating in remote areas Asilia Africa alleviates poverty and hunger and provides decent work/economic growth for rural villages. As of June 2015, we employed over 600 people; more than 95% are continental citizens and approximately 30% come from the local rural communities in the areas in which we operate.

Gender equality and responsible consumption are practised within the company’s operations (e.g. we have a good representation of women at an executive and management level, many of whom come from traditionally patriarchal societies).

We support locally grown and manufactured produce where possible. Read about our organic vegetable project here. Asilia is also the second-largest contributor to Carbon Tanzania thereby alleviating the unavoidable carbon expenditure that it has.

We support education in the form of materials (books, desks, pens etc.) in primary schools and tertiary scholarships for bright students who are unable to finance themselves. Watch thisinterviewwith one of our scholarship awardees.

Our financial and in-kind backing of initiatives such as the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancy Association (MMWCA) and the Northern Tanzania Rangelands Initiative (NTRI) provides indirect support to good governance and strong institutions.

By partnering with guests, governments, non-governmental organisations and tour operators Asilia Africa is practising the SDGs.

Join us on our journey to protect Africa’s most precious ecosystems.

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