‘If we lose the land, we lose the culture. If we lose culture, we lose peace. If we lose peace, we lose community. If we lose the community, we lose our way of life forever,’ – Oloiboni Kitok, a senior Maasai prophet
D Repubblica’s Laura Taccari takes us to Cottar’s 1920s Camp in the Maasai Mara, near the Olderkesi Private Reserve, running along the border with the Serengeti in Tanzania. On the journey, Laura meets with owner and director Calvin Cottar, great-grandson of Cottar’s founder Charles, learning how the oldest safari camp in Africa is challenging its colonial ties. ‘The ‘Cottar’s model’ demonstrates how nature-based tourism can improve biodiversity conservation and promote financial equality among rural communities,’ explains Calvin.
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