Beyond Parks Initiative…

Every fragile ecosystem is somebody’s home. Empowering local communities through ecotourism is every conservationist’s obligation. For an ecosystem to remain successful it relies on the community that benefits from initiatives supported by responsible conservation practice. Some of these benefits include good health, sanitation, access to education, resilient cultures, strong social infrastructures, food security, and indirect benefits.

Part of a holistic solution to a problem that if left unchecked could result in having to restock our wildernesses in the next few years’ time. Through ecotourism, we’ve designed the Beyond Parks Initiative as a solution to tackle poverty, protect communities, conserve nature, and effect cultural change only where it’s absolutely necessary.

For us, ensuring that we have the greatest impact has meant Oluokos creating its own signature footprint. We treasure our community; we’re dearly attached to nature as we depend on it for our lifelong income. The success of our approach requires three vital ingredients: conservation, commerce, and community. It’s only through your support that we can achieve these. Please, move forward and support us today.

Conservation Passionately for gains…

It’s wise not to forget that conservation-based travel only works if it benefits all, the host community very much MUST be included. As a responsible travel operator, we have since our inception been acutely aware of the role we play in ensuring that our trips have a long-term positive impact on the people for whom the destinations we use are home.

Loss of Biodiversity

  • Habitat loss owing to deforestation: With the improvements of machinery in the wrong hands, and the abuse of the machinery, deforestation has greatly increased as a result of this. Concerns have been raised and the need to manage this must be highlighted as soonest.
  • Illegal Bush Fires: Heavily practiced by the communities, setting fires to hunt small or large animals as well as to clear forest for agricultural land is widespread and is leading to the loss of forest cover each year. There is a need to check on the illegal and irresponsible burning that often goes rampant during the dry season.
  • Shifting Cultivation: The old fashion of farming practice in the region involves moving from one ground to another and it has turned out to be unsustainable to the environment as it leads to loss of both grasslands, forests, and woodland annually. Through zoning, this way of farming can be managed by a provision of well-demarcated agricultural zones. This is only possible through the proper development of a land-use plan for all the stakeholders.
  • Unsustainable Fishing: Out of concern overfishing is a major threat at present and especially with the future demand for commercialization, from the urban settlements within the vicinity of the lake and also coupled with the wrong/illegal fishing gears there could be pressure to fish species in the lake and its wetlands in the near future.
  • Illegal/Unsustainable Resources Utilization: Both small, medium, and large birds and animals have become targets for bushmeat. This practice is historically part of the traditions. But, in this modern life where man has learned to use sophisticated weapons, the results could be very devastating in the long run. Our ecosystems are already suffering from the low/zero numbers of some species namely; elephants, hippopotamus, bongo, and buffalo, as well as some primates.

Our Objectives

As a result, and in consideration, the local population should be given the opportunity to have alternative sources of income. Globally, eco-ecotourism and its related services are one of the most important alternative sources of income and employment opportunities for people living near fragile wildlife habitats.

  • To sensitize the communities on a better understanding of nature
  • Support local livelihoods and increase community involvement in nature conservation
  • To identify possible assets to enlist the help of local people in developing a community-based program
  • To train local people in conducting activities within the defined ecosystem.
  • To mitigate harmful impacts caused by villagers on the hills by creating new sources of livelihood for local people.
  • To promote community development through the exchange of cultural and social developments which will create a sustainable income-base for the community. If this is done in accordance with our vision and plan, it will help to reduce poverty in the community.

How You Can help...

PLEASE JOIN US TODAY

There are so many ways how you can make a difference. We are on a mission to help make travel a force for good, but we can’t do it alone. Be inspired by our expert partners and join us on our journey towards a sustainable future.

Want to join our responsible tourism initiative?

We are open to partnerships from like-minded partners for us to safeguard our future together. Please, Become Our Partner

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Our Philosophy…

Our concept of responsible tourism emerged a few years ago. This was after the concept of sustainable development, and is imbricated in the global environmental movement as “tourism in natural areas that meets the choices and the needs of the present and the future”.

We are well aware that this way of operations gives high priority to the role of preservation of the local ecosystem, sustainability of the wellbeing of local communities, and guests – the possibility to become immersed in the wilderness, in harmony with its natural environment and also at peace with the host communities.

Since its inception, always understood its responsibility towards wildlife as the natural heritage of mankind: to live in harmony with the natural environment we have to help in deepening the commitments towards sustainable development at all levels, from local to global.

At Oluokos, our commitment, passion, and dedication to responsible tourism go beyond the marketing terminology.

Our principal ethos is to consider communities as equal stakeholders and ultimate beneficiaries of our ecotourism venture. In spite of numerous bird species and the serenity of Lake Victoria, the lush highlands and forests, and the rich cultural diversity in Western Kenya, most of Western Kenya is still totally devoid of any protective presence and the destruction of the habitats is creeping in pretty first pushing most of the species of birds, plants and the remnant wild animals to the edge of the local extinction. Upon the observation of this reality, we stepped in to fill the gaps in conservation through ecotourism.

We still believe that our priority is to conserve rather than to consume and even if we consume, then this MUST be done as ethically as possible and in the most responsible manner. Thus, the principles of sustainability in the Iteso Hills are our main goal in order to respect and nurture the essence of ecotourism. With this determination, we have affirmed to promote the pillars of eco-tourism within our operations in Iteso land and beyond ecosystems, and in its surroundings for sustainable utilization of its natural resources, for the local community and the visitors.

We aim at doing this through Best Nature Initiatives that will be propelled through, education, social development, and through the protection of natural resources by purposeful practices for a greener future.

PLEASE JOIN US TODAY

There are so many ways how you can make a difference. We are on a mission to help make travel a force for good, but we can’t do it alone. Be inspired by our expert partners and join us on our journey towards a sustainable future.

Want to join our responsible tourism initiative?

We are open to partnerships from like-minded partners for us to safeguard our future together. Please, Become Our Partner

Please, find some of our partners below

Partner GNP Green Logo
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Please, don’t hug us to yourself. Share us out!

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