At Adumu Impact Fund, we operate upon the guidelines of our theory of change, a plan that links actions to goals for strategic and efficient systemic change. The core goal of our work is to create a safari tourism industry in East Africa that is indigenous friendly, indigenous respectful, and indigenous owned.
Indigenous pastoral communities like the Maasai have lived for generations on Kenyan and Tanzanian land that is often used for safari tourism. During the last few decades, there have been systematic efforts to displace those same communities in favor of a safari tourism industry that values profit over people. Our theory of change asserts that the best path towards a more ethical safari tourism industry includes and values the Maasai.
In action, this looks like the Maasai taking charge of projects, becoming tour guides, and managing the industry that they inherently have the cultural and ecological knowledge to operate. Long term, we hope to partner with other East African safari agencies to change the industry norms that have long prevented the Maasai from taking part in the safari industry. Our end goal is to make broad, systematic changes that will aid in creating a more socially-conscious industry that empowers and preserves Maasai communities, and that reshapes what it means to engage with tourism.
If you’re interested in learning more about our goals and what we’re working on, click on the “social impact” tab at the top of this page.