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Our History

The heart of ZARA Charity's efforts began long before its official inception with the initiatives of ZARA Tours in its employment practices and charitable giving. 

1987 to present (ZARA Tours):

  • Employment Initiatives:

From the beginning, ZARA Tours has used its position as an employer to give back to the community and to help those within it that are struggling. ZARA has been able to provide single mothers with the means to take care of their children by employing them in cooking, cleaning, and many other capacities for its hotel and safari operations. The very existence of these operations also provides many employment opportunities for the rest of the community, thereby contributing to the growth of the local economy. Additional employment-oriented initiatives include regular staff awareness events regarding HIV/AIDS, a yearly benefit climb for those unable to afford medication.

  • Aid Initiatives:

ZARA has also been instrumental in helping many organizations, such as the Mwema Street Children, the Kilimanjaro Foundation School, and the Mandela School, find sponsors to help fund their operations. For example, the Kilimanjaro Foundation School was provided with the necessary funding for its school building while the Mandela School received help with running its classes, teaching, and maintenance work provided by an Australian Youth Homestay program. ZARA also gives directly by donating food to the Mwema Street Children and founding the Mount Kilimanjaro Porters' Society, to which it makes regular financial contributions. This society helps provide porters with better working conditions, fair treatment, financial aid, and educational opportunities in the areas of Kilimanjaro conservation, English, HIV, and first aid.
 
Furthermore, ZARA has worked with the Huruma Women Group and other women within the Masai villages in Karatu and Eyasi to facilitate education and small business ownership as a means to rise above their restricted positions in society. Finally, ZARA helped build a local police station in the Pasua area of Moshi to enhance security while the founder, Zainab Ansell, has served on the Ngorongoro Conservation Board for three years in the hopes of protecting the beauty and natural resources of Tanzania. Twice a year, ZARA arranges Kilimanjaro clean-up climbs.


2009 Inception of the ZARA Charity

  1. Karibu Football Match (05.02.2009): On May 2nd, 2009, ZARA Charity hosted a football match between the mountain guides and porters of ZARA Tours and the other surrounding tour companies. See the report with pictures (DOC, 2 MB).
  2. University of Georgia Service Learning Project (09.05.2009 - 02.06.2009): In one of the first projects completed through ZARA Charity, a group of students from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, U.S.A., came to the aid of the orphans and staff members of the Mount Kilimanjaro Centre for Orphans and Street Children.
  3. Food Donation to the Children of the Msamaria Centre (16.07.2009): On July 16th, 2009, ZARA Tours contributed hundreds of dollars to the Msamaria Centre through ZARA Charity to provide the children with food for the upcoming months. So please read the letter of thanks (PDF, 1 MB) from Msamaria Centre to ZARA Charity (16.07.2009) and consider helping to support these children!
  4. Mosquito Net and Food Donation to the Women of the Huruma Women Group (14.08.2009): On August 24th, 2009, ZARA Tours donated food and mosquito nets through ZARA Charity to the Huruma Women Group through ZARA Charity in order to support their health and protection from mosquitos and malaria. You can see pictures (PDF, 3 MB) of the Huruma Women Group receiving mosquito nets and food from the contribution of ZARA Tours (14.08.2009).
  5. Donation to Buy Books and Other Educational Materials for the School of the Mwema Centre for Street Children (24.08.2009): On August 24th, 2009, many donors from around the world and clients from ZARA Tours' Highview Hotel contributed over $120 to buy books and other educational materials for the school of the Mwema Centre for Street Children in Karatu. Click on the following link to read the letter of thanks (PDF, 412 kb) from the Mwema Street Children to all of these most generous donors (pictures included!).
  6. Food Donation to the Kilimanjaro Centre for Orphans and Street Children (02.09.2009): On September 2nd, 2009, ZARA Tours gave over $300 in food donations to the Kilimanjaro Centre for Orphans and Street Children through ZARA Charity in order to help them get through a temporary food shortage. Read the letter of thanks (DOC, 0.9 MB).