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The supplier of our beautiful Kenyan beaded bowls and boxes has won two 2006
First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards!
The First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards are the largest of their kind in the world.
Organized by online travel agent responsibletravel.com, in association with World Travel Market,
‘The Times’ and ‘Geographical Magazine’, and
supported by Conservation International,
the Awards recognize organizations in the travel industry that are
making a significant commitment to responsible tourism.
The central tenet of the Awards is that all types of tourism – from niche to mainstream –
can and should be operated in a way that respects and benefits destinations and local people.
The Ol Malo Lodge and Trust received the 2006 award for ‘Overall Joint Winner’,
along with the award for ‘Best for Poverty Reduction’.
In 2006 there were 1,200 Award nominees, who were sent a detailed questionnaire and
required to provide references.
Independent of the references, opinions were solicited from a range of informed individuals
relevant to each country.
A list of those under consideration was then put forward to a panel of 13 expert judges,
who reviewed the detailed responsible tourism questionnaires, and took up references.
Justin Francis, the CEO of responsibletravel.com, said,
“What makes these Awards so different is that tourists have nominated tourism ventures that they felt provided an outstanding holiday and also benefited local people and the destination.”
Justin said of Ol Malo, “This eco-lodge and charitable trust is situated in the deserts of Samburuland in Northern Kenya, on what was an overgrazed cattle ranch. Their key achievement to date is the establishment of The Ol Malo Eye Project which focuses upon the eradication of Trachoma - a cause of painful blindness in over 80% of adults over 30 – from the Ol Malo area.
This is an infectious and preventable disease, the root of which is poverty."
”They value, most highly of all, their interaction with the community through the women and children who come to Ol Malo to produce beadwork and paintings. This a chance for Ol Malo to see if they are achieving their aim for the community: to contribute to the preservation of the Samburu people in such a way that the Samburus are independent, strong and empowered to live their lives in the way that they strongly desire and choose.”
The founder of the Trust, Julia Francombe (shown left), attended the Awards ceremony at
World Travel Market on November 8th, to receive her accolades.
In addition, on November 4th Julia was awarded the
2006 Humanitarian Rose Award for Social Entrepreneurship,
bestowed by The People’s Princess Charitable Foundation, Inc.
This foundation celebrates the charitable legacy of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
Julia said, "We are thrilled to have won all three of these awards. They are a real testament to the courage of Samburu people who have worked so hard through the Trust to make their lives better and protect their culture".
Here's a link to the 22 page PDF document to see the entire
2006 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards
on www.responsibletravel.com.
Ol Malo information
can be seen on pages 6 and 7 for the Joint Overall Winner information, and on page 14 for the
Best for Poverty Reduction award.
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Batavia, NY 14020
Tel: 585.343.4490
Fax: 585.344.3551
E-mail: sales@oneworldprojects.com
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