It provides detailed statistical information on women’s role and status in the tourism industry, offering recommendations on how to improve the current situation. UNWTO and UN women believe that tourism can be a vehicle for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. Yet, much work needs to be done in order for this potential to be realized.
One of the Great Female entrepreneurs, Ms. Zainab Ansell who run today, proudly, one of the biggest tourism companies in Tanzania called, Zara Tours Company (Zara Tanzanian Adventures) was among the three women who attended UNWTO event held in London, United Kingdom (UK) early November 2011.
The event debate among other issues, tourism’s potential for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment while at the same time examining current challenges and gaps to gender equality in the sector.
Other invited panelists were; Ms. Liz Cramer Campos, the National Secretary of Tourism, Paraguay, who was represented Government, and Ms. Angela Hajipateras, the member of the Foundation for the Development of Zambezia, Mozambique who was representative of Civil Society.
Speaking with the writer of this article in an exclusive interviews recently, the founder and managing director of the one of the leading tourism firm in the country, ZARA Tanzania Adventurwes, Ms. Zainab Ansell advising that; ‘Women should not have to justify why they want to open a business and not stay at home, societies and families need to understand that this will benefit its communities, and will help them lift out of poverty.’
Commenting on the ‘spirit of giving back’ to the community as well as Mt. Kilimanjaro protection and conservation, Ansell explained that, she has established a charity organization called ‘Zara Charity’ with the aim of helping the needy in the community.
“ZARA Charity Organization (ZCO) was originated from ZARA Tours Company (Zara Tanzania Adventures) since 2009 as a Non-governmental organization.(NGO). This charitable organization founded in Moshi, Kilimanjaro region with the purpose of supporting local community in Tanzania by introducing various
project relate with community basic and social needs.” She explained.
According to Ms. Ansell, a total of 10% of the profit produced by her tourism company (Zara Tanzania Adventures) goes directly to the community under the Zara Charity Organization. Zara Tanzania Adventures company runs a tourism company, with two hotels, namely Srpinglands Hotel in Moshi, Highviews Hotel in Karatu, Ngorongoro and Ikoma Campsites in Ngorongoro Arusha region.
She named the vision of establish such an innovative charity organization as to unite the world long term volunteers with anyproject supported by ZARA Charity Organization (ZCO) and many other project Tanzania, to support local community, special group in the society such as orphans and women Ms. Ansell named some goals of the Zara Charity as, to ensure local community development and sustainability, to support disadvantaged groups within the community such as women, orphans, elders and HIV/AIDS affected people empower them by proving them basic needs such as food, Shelter education e.t.c. and empower them economically.
“The main objectives of the Zara Charity organization as to ensure community economic development, to improve women economic performance, to facilitate good living condition for special groups e.g. Women orphans elders and HIV/AIDS affected people, to link their difference community projects with international donors, to ensure environmental conservation and sustainability, and to improve living and working condition for the porters who climb the mountain…” Ms. Ansell further explained.
She named some of the charity institution which is fully sponsored by her company through Zara Charity Organization as the Mt. Kilimanjaro Porters Society (MKPS), the Society which was established in 2004 by Zara Tours Company to improve the working conditions of all porters on
Mount Kilimanjaro and other hiking areas in Tanzania.
She named some main goals of the society as Health and safety of guides and porters, preserving the environment through sustainable tourism, and Supporting of porter's families and the whole local community.
“Zara Caharity here sponsors the Trainings on financial management to the tour Guides and porters so that they can achieve their dreams by becoming more autonomous in life ,as well as Healthcare and micro-finance programs, year-round employment, and mountain climbing gears and equipments rentals..”
Ms. Ansell explained.
She added that, the Charity also supports the MKPS to offer free English classes to all porters, adding that, there are two sessions every day to meet the needs of people of different ages, skills,experience, and education level. All who successfully complete the class get a certificate. Further MKPS is sponsoring porter's medical bills and further education.
“Intensive training courses are offered during the rainy seasons of each year, including classes on mountain safety and basic first aid. In 2009, we have started to offer advanced classes in first aid and sustainable development.” she further pointed out.
According to Ms. Ansell, the Zara Charity also sponsors the education to the marginalized society through the Maasai Women project to Provide educational opportunities to empower Maasai land girls and women.
“The aim of this project is to encourage the Maasai children to attend to school by making sure that both Maasai girls and boys shall be attending to school whereby Zara Charity offers them school facilities and necessities such as, Exercise books, School uniforms, School fees, Shoes, Pen, Pencil and ruler, as well as Caution money is given for every pupils and students, which almost costs a total of 250 USD per student…” Ms. Zainab Ansell further explained.
She named other community organization sponsored by the organization as the orphans foundation called the ‘Kilimanjaro Center for Orphans and Street Children.
“In this orphanage center, Zara charity donates basic necessities to the center such as food, shelter and clothes as well as school equipments such school uniform exercise books We also plan to build up new orphanage center this will have enough space for:..” she explained.
Ms. Ansell added that, through support different economic activities run by this centre to generate income for improving living standard in terms of getting basic needs. Including Chicken raring project where they feed more than 200 chickens. According to her, Zara Charity also sponsors the Nghorongoro Marathon Project-Run for Charity.
_0.jpg?itok=QU87XW8D){kind=tracking}
.jpeg?itok=vCj6bCRe)
