Looking After Africa

I have had and conducted many African safaris over the years but it is now that I realy start to see how we are starting to abuse the very hand that feeds us in many ways, and thus I would like to concentrate on one aspect of our behavoir in the African bush that irks me. As visitors to a foreign country we all would like to behave in a socially responsible way,and yet it is this very thought pattern that gets us into trouble. Picture the following scenario.You have arrived at a Lodge deep in the African wilderness and you are excited because you are on holiday and away from home and all the mundane and tiresome chores that seem to fill up your day there.

You go to visit a remote African village and upon your arrival you are met by these folk all staring at you. You have no clue as how to behave as you are completely removed from your world, so you behave in an expected manner which is to smile politely and nod sagely even if you do not understand one word,and dish out presents and sweets to the poor people of Africa.. Wrong,Wrong

What point am I trying to make here. Well for starters the remote tribes in Africa have been living like they have very well without sweets and money, T shirts, soccer balls and so forth for thousands of years. We as visitors like to behave in a expected manner and sometimes the good intentions are the wrong intentions. It better to follow the advice of your local guide if you have one and follow the system as it works. I have seen many outlying communities made into slaves for money through good intentions and very often that very money can cause all kinds of social misery.

I once had a surgeon on a tour and when we arrived at a local village we found a young boy badly burned on the leg. The village people asked for assistance but looking at the wound I suggested he go immediately to hospital. The surgeon looked at this and stared to administer treatment with the little bit of medicine we had. The child recovered without going to hospital which was about one days drive . This to me was to me a very good example of responsible tourism.

By: Andrew du Preez

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