BRAVE & SINGITA GRUMETI FUND RUN

As the #MeToo movement continues to change the world, issues around female empowerment and women’s rights across all industries are being brought swiftly to bear. So, it’s worth remembering that in rural African communities, women and girls face enormous challenges on a daily basis, from inadequate living conditions to a lack of access to quality education and support for small businesses. This is why we at ROAR AFRICA, a 99% female-owned and run company, have long made the uplifting and advancement of women’s rights core to everything that we do. From our teams on the ground in Africa to our support and sponsorship of the Imibala Trust and the South African College of Tourism for girls, we place as much value on the empowerment of women’s rights as we do on the conservation of wildlife and wild spaces.

BRAVE, a non-profit that supports women-led initiatives and the Singita Grumeti Fund, created the BRAVE-Grumeti Fund Run—an all-women, five-day run across the Serengeti in 2018. This is a cause close to our hearts, for the now annual event sees runners traverse 40 miles of the Serengeti’s iconic grasslands to spend six unforgettable nights in the luxurious Singita Sabora tented safari camp, an exclusive-use camp where prime viewing of the Serengeti’s pristine wilderness and wildlife are a given. Lauded internationally for its unrivaled standards, Singita delivers a stellar safari experience for the runners defined by exceptional food and hospitality.

A highlight of the experience is visits with local women and girls that allow guests to engage with the local community, who ultimately benefit from their participation in this fundraising event. Each evening, guests enjoy guided game drives, exploring the plains and getting up close to the astounding wildlife that has flourished in this protected area. There is also visit to the Singita Grumeti Fund’s law enforcement headquarters and an introduction to the anti-poaching teams and the canine unit. It is a very special opportunity to see the work of the Grumeti Fund first-hand and get a sense of the far-reaching impact of every ROAR AFRICA tour with Singita.

According to the United Nations, poverty is the primary barrier to education for girls, more so than cultural resistance or gender inequality, with statistics confirming that girls who complete primary and secondary education tend to marry later, have smaller families and earn significantly higher wages. Other positive outcomes include faster economic growth, improved maternal and infant health and lower incidences of HIV/AIDS.

"The support and upliftment of women and girls is no longer an exercise in token representation, but an absolute imperative for the advancement of society," says India Baird, a human rights lawyer and the founder of BRAVE, a not-for-profit organization that partnered with the Singita Grumeti Fund for the inaugural fundraising run. Singita’s inspiring collection of conservation safaris (called Safaris with a Purpose) sees profits from the run directly benefit women and girls in rural communities, such as those that border the 350,000 acres of the Singita Grumeti Reserve in northern Tanzania. Funds are implemented through secondary school, vocational study and university scholarships, life skills and enterprise development training, environmental education and internships, as Singita actively seeks to empower the next generation of female leaders in conservation by making them influential within their own communities. Educating tomorrow’s female leaders in Africa is something we at ROAR AFRICA are extremely passionate about, and so we are proud to endorse these annual runs.

If you would like to make women's empowerment a key component of your luxury African safari experience with ROAR AFRICA, please email welcome@roarafrica.com.