Question for the outfitters in Africa....

[Jason Miller]

So I have a question for the hunting outfitters in Africa,

So I work for a large NGO in Kenya, been their development director for five years. I oversee capital projects, sustainability projects, lead multiple trips with hundreds of guests per year. I also consult for multiple other NGO's both Africa based and US/ Europe based working in Africa. Most of all I am VERY aware of "When helping hurts" and the damage NGO's can do to communities when "meaning well" I refuse to work for any organization that contributes to the "Charity Mindset" we see so much in Africa. I have been working and living in over 13 countries since the 1990's and I have raised tens of millions in the US to help in Africa...

Some of the organizations I work with handle water projects, solar power, building schools, sustainable farms, chicken growing operations, fish growing and on and on.

I attend the DSC show every year for the past 25 years, I meet my large donors there and we plan a fun few days, I usually share a booth with a PH based in SA that I bring some of my donors to hunt once a year and then we go to Kenya / Rwanda together to see some of the fruits of their investments.

While at the Safari show something interesting happened as one of my donor/clients said that a large hunting outfit wanted to speak with me. The outfitter had heard from a mutual client about the work I do. They explained that in many cases when a PH or outfitter applies for a hunting block or concession they are required or they offer to give some kind of aid to the local communities within the hunting block, not only to the locals get free meat and work for the outfitter but for example the outfitter will promise schools or water wells or things that will offer a better quality of life for the locals. He stated that they wanted someone such as myself to help implement these ideas as they were hunters and didn't really have the capacity to oversee building schools etc and asked if I would be interested. Also they did not want to go into starting and maintaining a non profit etc. for these projects even though they had money already set aside for projects.

So after speaking with this particular outfitter we decided that a solar power plant would be great to start with in some of the villages that have no access to power. I contacted my friend who I have worked with in Malawi who supplies shipping containers that have been modified into mobile solar power plants that can run a small village, raised some additional funding to import the containers and were off an running for late 2023.

So, all this to ask, when applying for hunting blocks are outfitters required to offer aid (like building schools etc) to the local communities and if so, would there be a need for an outside person to facilitate these projects so the outfitter can focus on what they do best? Or was this just a fluke situation where a mutual client thought he was helping out ....

 

[Sue Tidwell]

So I have a question for the hunting outfitters in Africa,

So I work for a large NGO in Kenya, been their development director for five years. I oversee capital projects, sustainability projects, lead multiple trips with hundreds of guests per year. I also consult for multiple other NGO's both Africa based and US/ Europe based working in Africa. Most of all I am VERY aware of "When helping hurts" and the damage NGO's can do to communities when "meaning well" I refuse to work for any organization that contributes to the "Charity Mindset" we see so much in Africa. I have been working and living in over 13 countries since the 1990's and I have raised tens of millions in the US to help in Africa...

Some of the organizations I work with handle water projects, solar power, building schools, sustainable farms, chicken growing operations, fish growing and on and on.

I attend the DSC show every year for the past 25 years, I meet my large donors there and we plan a fun few days, I usually share a booth with a PH based in SA that I bring some of my donors to hunt once a year and then we go to Kenya / Rwanda together to see some of the fruits of their investments.

While at the Safari show something interesting happened as one of my donor/clients said that a large hunting outfit wanted to speak with me. The outfitter had heard from a mutual client about the work I do. They explained that in many cases when a PH or outfitter applies for a hunting block or concession they are required or they offer to give some kind of aid to the local communities within the hunting block, not only to the locals get free meat and work for the outfitter but for example the outfitter will promise schools or water wells or things that will offer a better quality of life for the locals. He stated that they wanted someone such as myself to help implement these ideas as they were hunters and didn't really have the capacity to oversee building schools etc and asked if I would be interested. Also they did not want to go into starting and maintaining a non profit etc. for these projects even though they had money already set aside for projects.

So after speaking with this particular outfitter we decided that a solar power plant would be great to start with in some of the villages that have no access to power. I contacted my friend who I have worked with in Malawi who supplies shipping containers that have been modified into mobile solar power plants that can run a small village, raised some additional funding to import the containers and were off an running for late 2023.

So, all this to ask, when applying for hunting blocks are outfitters required to offer aid (like building schools etc) to the local communities and if so, would there be a need for an outside person to facilitate these projects so the outfitter can focus on what they do best? Or was this just a fluke situation where a mutual client thought he was helping out ....

Hi Jason. First of all thank you for all you do to help local communities and work with non-profits to support Africa in the right way. I’m not qualified to answer your question but I will be watching the thread to learn what I can from it. From my understanding, each country is a bit different. Some require outfitters to do community projects while others may not. I think plenty of outfitters so a lot on their own already. Nevertheless, I think this will and should be a model for the future.

 

[Dinsdale]

I know some of Zimbabwe works on some of those principles.

If you really want to get into some specifics; contact Buzz Charlton or Myles McCallum that run Charlton McCallum Safaris. They are into all kinds of projects in Dande.

Dande Safari Area is in the middle theres no villages there, and they have hunting rights north and south where there are villages (North is Ward 1, South is Ward 2 and 11). All together its about 500,000 acres

Schools, water projects, arranging medical care; that company is involved all over those properties.And they fund a serious anti poaching team made up of locals; 22 members, equipment, training, etc.

It ain’t always perfect and lots of political wrangling around; but I’ve seen the results. Pretty transparent about where the funds are going too. Theres a couple videos produced with the help of DSC on youtube.

 

[Sue Tidwell]

I know some of Zimbabwe works on some of those principles.

If you really want to get into some specifics; contact Buzz Charlton or Myles McCallum that run Charlton McCallum Safaris. They are into all kinds of projects in Dande.

Dande Safari Area is in the middle theres no villages there, and they have hunting rights north and south where there are villages (North is Ward 1, South is Ward 2 and 11). All together its about 500,000 acres

Schools, water projects, arranging medical care; that company is involved all over those properties.And they fund a serious anti poaching team made up of locals; 22 members, equipment, training, etc.

It ain’t always perfect and lots of political wrangling around; but I’ve seen the results. Pretty transparent about where the funds are going too. Theres a couple videos produced with the help of DSC on youtube.

Yes, I have also heard great things about Buzz and Myles and the work they have done. Another one that I know of is Mark Haldene from Zambezi Delta. To learn more read the newly released book Bringing Home the Lions by Mike Arnold. Mark had and his partner did a great job and had great support from Cabelas, DSC, and Ivan Carter.

 

[steve white]

Not a great hunting destination, but Liberia will allow anyone to bring in anything to help the country and citizenry. The Firestone Tire co. has a rubber plantation there. Since they are shipping the containers over empty(then bringing them back full of rubber), they will haul for free anything for such a project. I have sent equipment for an entire clean room surgical unit in one container, and tile to line the clean room plus a renovated vehicle in another container. The containers themselves are a valuable commodity in that they are lockable and waterproof. We used on to contain books for a library.

Spoiler alert: expect to pay some "bak shish" to get the goods out of the landing in Liberia...or they will disappear.

 

[Dinsdale]

Yes, I have also heard great things about Buzz and Myles and the work they have done. Another one that I know of is Mark Haldene from Zambezi Delta. To learn more read the newly released book Bringing Home the Lions by Mike Arnold. Mark had and his partner did a great job and had great support from Cabelas, DSC, and Ivan Carter.

Interesting enough Arnolds’ book even had a mention for good reading in a NY bi weekly hunting/fishing paper I read. Nice to see a mention.

I also think there are a fair amount of stories that no one sees or hears about with folks helping both people and wildlife in Africa. Watched a live stream helicopter darting today from SA iin one of the APNR properties for a snare wound on an elephant. Vet could put his forearm arm inside the wound. Female was coping with the infection rotting down the interior of the leg taking away half the bottom of the foot; had 2 dependent calves. Interesting to watch live. Buffalo herd showed up about 1/2 way in being inquisitive.

I know another APNR property thats adopted a local school and has done a fair bit of support; staff for lodges come from that area.

Good efforts out there if you look.

 

[Sue Tidwell]

Interesting enough Arnolds’ book even had a mention for good reading in a NY bi weekly hunting/fishing paper I read. Nice to see a mention.

I also think there are a fair amount of stories that no one sees or hears about with folks helping both people and wildlife in Africa. Watched a live stream helicopter darting today from SA iin one of the APNR properties for a snare wound on an elephant. Vet could put his forearm arm inside the wound. Female was coping with the infection rotting down the interior of the leg taking away half the bottom of the foot; had 2 dependent calves. Interesting to watch live. Buffalo herd showed up about 1/2 way in being inquisitive.

I know another APNR property thats adopted a local school and has done a fair bit of support; staff for lodges come from that area.

Good efforts out there if you look.

That’s awesome that Mikes book was mentioned in a NY hunting/fishing paper. There are so many hunters in America that don’t really understand how important hunting is. I met Randy Newberg at the POMA conference and he turned up his nose and admitted he didn’t think much of hunting in Africa. He was kind though and accepted a copy of Cries of the Savanna. I told him that i would like to change his mind. I haven’t heard anything back and need to follow up. He has a lot of influence among domestic hunters.

 

[spike.t]

@Jason Miller possibly try contacting some of the safari operators here , as they have to provide improvements for the people in the GMAs or around them as part of their contract

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Having been in business in Zimbabwe all my life the lesson for tranquility is to always having something held back. For example, drill the boreholes for the contract deal price, but the maintenance is separate and dependant upon good relationships going forward. This is not harsh; the goodwill people you made the deal with today may wee be be replaced by a problem person tomorrow, in fact likely.

 

[Jason Miller]

Having been in business in Zimbabwe all my life the lesson for tranquility is to always having something held back. For example, drill the boreholes for the contract deal price, but the maintenance is separate and dependant upon good relationships going forward. This is not harsh; the goodwill people you made the deal with today may wee be be replaced by a problem person tomorrow, in fact likely.

You are correct, I could go on and on about deals gone bad, once a California church started a orphanage in Kenya spent 15 million or more building buildings, buying land, cars, equipment etc to have it all stolen from them by forging documents. Even local politicians were involved.

Ive seen solar power stations set up by NGO's to be taken over by local chiefs and then charging their people to use the system that was donated to the community.

Water wells are probably the biggest issue, money is raised wells are dug and immediately break and not used, sometimes the disruption of the community due to a well can be bad as well, all of the sudden the women don't have the four hour walk to the river and back so sit around interrupting the men as they sit around

 

[Jason Miller]

Well, after six months I am finally leaving back to Africa Sunday, working in Ethiopia, checking on a Kenya and Malawi projects and then visiting the outfitter that I mentioned above to discuss me consulting and handling the Aid work on their concession. Hope it works out as this would be a fun project for me and a little off the grid than my usually work.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I hope it goes well Jason. Africa needs help, it also needs to mature fast and appreciate that it is theirs, look after it.

 

[Jason Miller]

I hope it goes well Jason. Africa needs help, it also needs to mature fast and appreciate that it is theirs, look after it.

Exactly, I struggle with Aid and Charity in Africa and work hard to not perpetuate the charity mindslet as well as disrupt the culture with western influence .. its a tough one.