Tawi Lodge
Tawi Eco-tourism Gold rating
Sustainable tourism
Environmental conservation
The facility has an environmental day on monthly basis. Activities include environmental cleaning, litter collection and sensitization talks to the staff. The lodge blends in with the local natural surroundings. The building designs are influenced by local Maasai architecture. Guests are encouraged to participate in low impact activities such as guided nature walks, camel rides and bird watching within the conservancy to reduce on carbon footprint on reduced vehicle use.
Solid waste management
The facility issues its visitors with a re-usable water bottle for use during game drives and as a take-away souvenir. Glass bottles are also reused within the guest tents as drinking water cisterns. The initiative is aimed at plastic waste reduction.
Tawi lodge uses the highest quality locally made biodegradable bathroom soaps and shampoos.
Organic waste is composted. Ash obtained from the booster kuni boilers is used as a catalyst in the composting process.
Waste water management
Water effluent tests are conducted in compliance with Kenya’s regulation.
Water management
The main source of water for the lodge is from a borehole; the water is solar pumped and stored in reservoir tanks with a total capacity of 122,000 litres.
Energy management
Social cultural
Community
The leased land for Tawi lodge and conservancy benefits directly the landowners who accepted to keep it intact for Conservation. In 2014, over KES 4 million was paid to land owners in lease and bed night fees. More than 75% of our staff are from the surrounding communities are trained to work in the lodge. Many would otherwise be with very little revenue as the region is not populated with sufficient density to provide an occupation or economic welfare for all.
Training and education
Lemong’o school sits on the edge of our conservancy.
We accompany and help young Maasai from the ages of 3 to 9, in reaching primary school level. Constantly providing for the most basic needs, a water tank, a fence to protect children from wildlife, notebooks, pencils, blackboards, chairs, etc. is necessary to answer the government’s financial short falls. The community has shown they understand its need and importance by coming together to finance a teacher.
We also help by arranging for volunteers to come and teach about basic notions on hygiene, respect for the environment, wildlife and by transmitting any help you wish to invest, funds or material, to them.
Benefits to staff and local community
The lodge purchases perishables such as fruits and vegetables from the local shopping centers. Additionally, Tawi lodge buys meat for staff (a goat on a weekly basis), milk and other staff provisions from the local Namelok and Kimana towns. Approximately 75% of the permanent employees are from the local area; in addition, all casuals are hired from the local Kimana area.
Tawi lodge pays bed night and lease fees to landowners which goes into supporting community projects in education, medical care and provision of clean water.
