Ethiopia has suffered more than most this last year. Covid’s put a flourishing tourist industry on the seat of its pants and the trouble in Tigray a government fresh from the success of ending hostilities with Eritrea in a whole new world of difficulty. Which is why I wanted to share the following story, if only as means of demonstrating the importance of travelling with purpose, especially in times like these.
Some background first. As you may know, the Africa House Group consists of three entities: Journeys by Design, Wild Philanthropy, and Tekula Capital, our social enterprise investment vehicle and probably the least well known members of the group. Africa House’s mission is to transform the way tourism benefits Africa. JbD’s role is the facilitating of travel to at-risk ecosystems. WP helps support these ecosystems through philanthropic donations and projects. Tekula Capital provides the means with which to invest in eco-businesses in these ecosystems. Our very first investment is Wild Expeditions Ethiopia, which is part-owned and entirely run by Ethiopian nationals, and which has very quickly made a name for itself as Ethiopia’s finest ground handler.
