As the #MeToo movement continues to gain momentum globally, 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. Which is why we at ROAR AFRICA, a 99% female-owned and run company, have long made the upliftment 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 Imibala 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.

This is why BRAVE, a non profit which supports women-led initiatives and the Singita Grumeti Fund, have created the BRAVE-Grumeti Fund Run, an all-woman, five-day run across the Serengeti, is a cause close to our hearts – for this once-in-a-lifetime event, that will take place from October 19-24 this year, will see 20 runners traverse 90km of the Serengeti’s iconic grasslands to spend five unforgettable nights in the luxurious Singita Explore 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 will deliver a stellar safari experience for the runners defined by exceptional food and hospitality.

The experience will begin with a ‘fun run’ for local women and girls that will allow guests to engage with the local community who will ultimately benefit from their participation in this fundraising event. Each evening, guests will enjoy guided game drives, exploring the plains and getting up close to the astounding wildlife that has flourished in this protected area. The final day will include a 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 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. While 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 has partnered with the Singita Grumeti Fund for this inaugural event. Singita’s commitment to an inspiring new collection of conservation safaris called Safaris with a Purpose will see profits from the run directly benefit women and girls in rural communities like those that border the 350 000 acres of Singita’s Grumeti Reserve in northern Tanzania. This will be 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 this inaugural run.

If you would like to include the BRAVE-Grumeti Fund Run as part of your luxury African safari experience with ROAR AFRICA, please email welcome@roarafrica.com