With a few exceptions, tourism is still in its infancy in Africa. Jobs in the tourism industry are in great demand, as they are comparatively well paid and crisis-proof. However, access to these jobs is very difficult as the cost of education is unaffordable for the vast majority. Most young people have to work at home to support their family after attending elementary school.

As a business owner, I have been striving for many years to give back to society here at home in Germany through my support of Herzwerk, a project from the German Red Cross to combat poverty of senior citizens, and local Berlin charitable organisations such as the Berliner Stadtmission. Further to this, I have long been looking for a local African organisation to personally support. With Africa Amini Alama I found a non-profit organization in Tanzania whose goal is to support destitute Maasai in the Arusha region on Mount Kilimanjaro.

Founded by two doctors, a mother and daughter team, it all started in 2007 with the building of a medical clinic for the local community. The projects quickly multiplied and many further small initiatives were developed, and now there are even schools and training centers that are accredited by the government. In 2021, an educational training centre in sustainable tourism has also been introduced, which I would like to actively support with Original Berlin Walks.

In addition to language training and tourism theory, the students have to complete several internships in local companies in order to receive practical experience in tourism. The focus of this training is very much topic of sustainable tourism, which is very popular with local employers and promises great job prospects for the trainees.

We are currently sponsoring the educational training of two young people, who receive medical care and food in addition to the cost of training: