Testimonials

Imani Wilson-August 2020

I am currently studying Zoology at Bangor University with the future ambition to enter into a career in wildlife research and conservation. 

In 2020, I was lucky enough to help develop a carbon offsetting project with Kisampa Conservancy in Tanzania. Kisampa Carbon Zero aims to protect trees and wildlife in the conservancy through donations and offsetting the carbon of tourists who visit the area. I spent most of the first COVID-19 lockdown period developing the website for this project and I flew out to Tanzania to spend a month at the conservancy in August. 

Over the month I spent at Kisampa, we patrolled the conservancy on foot and in boats, where we found snares and evidence of illegal logging from poaching activities. This is a major concern for the wildlife of Kisampa as well as the habitat they live in. Poaching and logging is an ongoing issue that we face not only at Kisampa but across Tanzania, Africa and other areas of the world with significant biodiversity. 

The next generations will be those to be affected greatly by climate change but are also those who are capable of great change. I visited the local secondary school where I gave a talk about conservation issues in Tanzania and the importance of wildlife and environmental ecosystems, as well as ways that they can help in their own community. I also helped the children improve their English speaking skills by holding debates, where we discussed a wide range of world issues.  

Growing up in Tanzania, the culture has become an extremely important value to me and Kisampa is a special place where this is upheld to conserve the history of the area. I spent lots of time with the locals in the Matipwili village market, learning to cook traditional beans and rice, and playing pool with the chairmen. I also visited the Maasai village, where I learnt to make beaded jewellery as well as watching their traditional dancing under the moon and stars. It is clear how much of an impact Kisampa and ecotourism has had on this community and how we can both work together towards our shared goals of wildlife and environmental conservation. 

At Kisampa camp, I would also spend time helping build new kitchen roofs, fishing on Sundays, tracking elephants through the grassland and enjoying beautiful sunsets. There was always something to help out with at Kisampa and I constantly felt welcome by everyone there. Since coming back to the UK, I have continued to get involved in helping Kisampa by fundraising, raising awareness and setting up partnerships in new projects. I feel very passionately about the work that Kisampa is doing and I am so excited to continue to work with them into the future and watch the community, wildlife and environment flourish. 

If you are interested in volunteering at Kisampa, I cannot recommend it enough. You will have an unforgettable experience surrounded by the magic of Tanzania; its wildlife, its people and its culture.