Our team has been the first Zimbabwe-based turnkey provider of cross-cultural exchanges through volunteering, and internship placements at matched organisations.
Responsible travel is a crucial part of the sustainable development of countries and the world. Travelling responsibly means making deliberate choices about the way we travel, in order to minimise the negative impact on the environment and communities, while maximising the value to the environment, organisations as well as the people living in the destinations we visit. Central to our vision & mission are sustainability principles as well as unshakable commitment to ethics.Â
We are accountable to our Board of Trustees. While majority of companies create a foundation once they make a profit, we are different because we started out as a non-profit organisation working on the frontlines of improving healthcare, conservation and business practices in Zimbabwe and subsequently established an enterprising arm in order to facilitate fundraising for our non-profit work.
We have a carefully designed, implemented and monitored rating system for our accommodation and experiences partners. Our system is geared towards assisting travellers to make responsible choices regarding accommodation and activities in-country. Â
We deliberately choose accommodation facilities that adhere to sustainability practices: locally owned, fair labour practices, recycle & sound waste management practices, socially responsible & supports the local communities. Our accommodation partners conduct self-assessments & our teams follow-up with on-site inspections.Â
We help travellers leave destinations better than they found them. Our itineraries are developed based on the responsible travel criteria. We have walking tours & safaris & travellers have the option to skip the hotel & spend a night(s) with a local family. We give travellers the option to be more hands-on & volunteer rehabilitating waterholes within National Parks or communities.Â
Being based and operating volunteering, internships abroad, faculty-led programmes as well as tours in Africa, we understand the realities of climate change and see it’s subtle and explicit effects every day. It’s no secret that action is needed & we have risen to the occasion – striving for carbon neutrality at our offices, the itineraries we create for our travellers and putting our money where our mouths are by partnering with Stand For Trees on the Code Redd+ programme in Kariba, where we donate an equivalent tonnage each of our travellers uses to reach Zimbabwe from their home country.
We always aim to reduce our footprint with each volunteering project, internship placement, faculty-led group and with each tour we embark on together with our travellers. From turning off idling engines, selecting eco-friendly transportation (best effort), using biodegradable products, recycling and properly disposing waste material. We also make ourselves accountable for the actions of our suppliers and partners who go through self-assessments as well as on-site inspections, thereby ensuring top level vetting for our travellers to choose eco-friendly facilities.
As a social enterprise and enterprising arm of Tiritose Trust, our entire mission is to help in the fundraising efforts of the Trust for the benefit of the healthcare sector, conservation efforts as well as youth-led business enterprises. Our volunteering, internships, faculty-led programmes and experiences directly benefit local communities through among others employment opportunities & money spent at local markets by our travellers when they shop.
We design and run our volunteering, internships, faculty-led programmes as well as experiences with local communities in mind. We particularly include within our itineraries distant communities, off the beaten track, where tourists do not typically venture. We pride ourselves at introducing travellers to places they cannot find online. We are however, conscious of overtourism, and so we strictly limit the number of people we take to these hidden gems.
Contrary to sentiments held by others, Africa is not a country. They might appear similar at first, however, the cultures, traditions and customs are quite different between African countries. Zimbabwe is a fascinating and exciting country to visit, with boundless opportunities for cultural exchange. We actively integrate immersive cultural experiences with itinerary and encourage travellers to keep an open mind as well as respect of local cultures, traditions and customs.
Our team will guide you through every step of the application process and offer advice whenever you need it. Check out frequently asked questions