Meet Doris, a waitress with a hunger to learn about wildlife

Meet our firecracker waitress Doris, who has been part of the Asilia family at Sayari for three years. Doris’ passion for hospitality and the bush was ignited when she discovered Asilia and started her training. She is fascinated by wildlife and would one day like to train to be a guide so she can learn as much as possible about all the different species and how they live and hunt. At only 23 years old, we know Doris has a bright future ahead of her.

What is your favourite animal?

I love the tall and beautiful giraffe! I think that they move very gracefully, and I love how each giraffe has a unique spot pattern, like our fingerprints. It’s also very interesting that there’s so much colour variation among individuals. Some of them are quite dark, while others are light, and you can even see this variation in members of the same family!

What do you like about the bush?

I love the quietness and solitude. There are too many people in the cities. Here, it is just the animals, the birds, the views, the mountains and the landscapes. In the bush, you can also see the stars every night if it isn’t cloudy, but they are very difficult to see in a city because of all the pollution and light. I feel like I am exploring the world by working in the bush.

How did you get into hospitality?

That’s the funny thing because before I came across Asilia, I knew nothing about the world. When I joined, they trained me in hospitality and tourism, and they allowed me to experience the wild for the first time. As soon as I started my training, I realised how passionate I was about this industry, it was like I suddenly discovered a hidden part of myself.

I am currently a waitress and have been working with Asilia for three years now, but I would love to become a guide one day. I’m so fascinated by all the wildlife: how their lifespans differ, how the different species live, how they hunt or what they eat. If you have herbivores that eat grass, I want to know what species of grass they’re eating and why. If there are predators, I want to know why some of them hunt in groups when others hunt alone. I just want to learn as much as I can!

What is your biggest achievement?

Asilia introduced me to the wild and I am so grateful for it revealing a passion I didn’t know I had. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved by working here. I’ve gone from knowing nothing about the world, to learning about the hospitality industry, working in some of Tanzania’s beautiful national parks, and meeting guests from all over the world. Here I am, three years later and I’m keen to further my career in the safari industry with Asilia.

I am also proud of how much my English has improved. I learned a little bit when I was at school, but when I knew I would be interacting with guests, I started to watch films and cartoons in English so that I could copy the accent and find out what certain phrases and words meant. Interacting with the guests has also improved my knowledge and vocabulary. I love chatting to people about their countries and finding out about their culture.