Enterprise Development and Tourism
AET’s Enterprise Development and Tourism program comprises of five thematic areas: livestock production, sustainable tourism, nature-based enterprise and the empowerment of women, youth and marginalized groups to ensure equitable and sustainable development.
01.
Community conservancies
Conservancies as a land use option is an avenue for communities to generate economic benefits from land leases and investments for eco-tourism.
Additionally, the conservancies further offer job opportunities in hospitality, cultural enterprise, and wildlife security to the community.
The continuous community engagement by AET in partnership with other stakeholders during the creation and implementation of land subdivision plans by group ranches have guided the community to embracing conservation, jointly setting aside land for wildlife conservancies and wildlife corridors.
02.
Harnessing The Potential of Livestock Production
The Maasai community of the Amboseli practice livestock keeping as their primary source of income. However, the communities have incurred major losses due to prolonged drought fueled by climate change and livestock diseases.
AET has initiated livestock value-addition projects, such as breed improvement and better milk production, to enhance community benefits from livestock production.
03.
Forster Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism
Tourism is a major economic activity in the Amboseli landscape. However, the local communities have a small share of the benefits generated from Amboseli as a prime destination park. AET is looking to amend this by supporting the establishment of small-scale tourism projects in the communities.
AET is also working on enriching the tourism experience in the Amboseli and improving the tourism income of the communities by helping establish cultural villages and shops in strategic areas.
04.
Grass Seed Banks
AET in partnership with Justdiggit is implementing the grass seed bank program: a rangeland restoration intervention and enterprise venture.
The program works with local women groups to manage grass seed bank sites in Noonkotiak, Meshenani, and Lenkisim areas of Olgulului-Lalarashi Group Ranch.
Upon maturity, the grass seeds are sold at the local markets or to regreening projects, providing a source of income to the local women while greening the landscape. A win for the rangelands and the local communities.
05.
Noonkotiak Cultural Village
The Noonkotiak Cultural Village is a women-run cultural tourism enterprise located in Noonkotiak Village, adjacent to the Amboseli National Park.
The cultural village, which showcases the traditional way of life of the Maasai community, offers tourists a unique homestay experience of the daily lives of the local community.
Consisting of 16 traditional Maasai homes, the cultural village generates direct economic benefits to the women and their families.
06.
Kitchen Gardens
The adverse effects of climate change, such as prolonged drought, erratic rainfall, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss, have affected the livelihoods of local communities in the Amboseli Ecosystem.
AET, through funding from USAID Kenya and in partnership with ifaw, are implementing the Sustainable Management of Tsavo and Amboseli Landscapes project, which includes training the local community on kitchen gardening.
The gardens provide a source of fresh vegetables and fruits for consumption and sale at the local markets, diversifying the income of the households while also improving the health and nutrition of the families and reducing pressures on the natural resources.
Discover our regreening campaign
Explore our ambitious partnership that is regreening the Amboseli.