Zara Charity was founded in 2009 to support social, educational, and vocational needs for the most vulnerable groups in Tanzania including mountain porters, orphans, women, and poor populations, while also creating environmental conservation and sustainability.
At Zara Charity we help to improve the living conditions of those in the community with disease-education, financial management skills, conservation, English language, and economic development. These are primarily addressed through four branches: The Mount Kilimanjaro Porters’s Society, Ngorongoro Marathon Project, Kilimanjaro Orphanage Centre, and the Maasai Women Group.
Funds for the charities are developed through private contributions, volunteerism, project sponsors, and fundraising tourism. Please go to https://www.zaracharitytanzania.org/projects for more information regarding our charities.
Current Charitable Projects Needing Support
· Ngorongoro Maasai Pre-school Solar Project.
· Trees Planting Project
· Ocean Clean-up Project
· Maasai Pre School
· Ngorongoro marathon project
· Maasai women make a change
Zara Charity Success Stories
Maasai Women Group. Because a woman is the key person in her house, once you help her, the family can go a long way. One program participant of the Maasai Women Group said she learned how to make crafts out of beads. She uses the money she makes selling her crafts to put food on the table, books, and pens. The tourist season in Tanzania brings the busy season, which is good for business. Zara Charity helps to bridge the gap to support the women in making consistent income.
Mount Kilimanjaro Porter Society. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru are not easy jobs, yet porters help tourists do just that year over year. Prior to advocacy work for porters, there were little to no rights – no way to standardize wages or tips. The Mount Kilimanjaro Porter Society (MKPS) works to provide training during the low season for porters to provide better customer service, understand altitude sickness, malaria and AIDS/HIV, budgeting skills, English, and environmental sustainability. They are also equipped with the proper gear for trekking and leading others on the highest peaks in Africa.
Preschool Building. Can you image being 3-5 years old and walking through the jungle (yes, with leopards, elephants, and lions!), sometimes in the rain, eight miles to go to school? New preschools are being built with the help of Zara Charity and Zara Tours so these young learners can get clothes, food, and a primary education. Having a school closer to home has increased enrollment and safety.
“An education is the best thing you can give children for a better future.”
Zara Tours Charity Opportunities
Since 1987, Zara Tours has been giving tourists a once-in-a-lifetime African experience, whether on a multi-day safari, Mountain treks to Kilimanjaro, or even day-trips and voluntourism. Half on the revenue they earn is donated to Zara Charities to build their communities and keep tourism thriving for years to come. To learn more about these projects or to donate, visit: https://www.zaracharitytanzania.org/projects