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Win a holiday for two to Kerala!

Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2012

Nominate your favorite responsible tourism company for the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2012.

“The Responsible Tourism Awards are on the hunt for the shining stars of responsible tourism – those organisations that go beyond the norm to create experiences that benefit the destinations we visit. To be considered for an Award an organisation needs is to be nominated in any one of our 13 categories.

The Awards launched in April with an exclusive interview with the BBC presenter Simon Reeve in the Metro, the UK’s leading free newspaper with an audience of 3.3 million people. The Awards were founded in 2004 to celebrate the most inspiring stories in responsible tourism. Organised by responsibletravel.com, we work with Metro, World Travel Market, Geographical magazine, and the International Centre of Responsible Tourism to celebrate and inspire change in the tourism industry The Awards rest on a simple principle – that all types of tourism, from niche to mainstream, can and should be organized in a way that preserves, respects and benefits destinations and local people.”

Newsletter Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards

If you liked volunteering with us you can nominate us in the category “Best volunteer organization”. You can do so on the website of Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards and therewith enter the chance to win a holiday for two to Kerala.  

• Newsletter Virgin Holidays
• Responsible Tourism Awards

Making Headlines… Aslihan Gedik featured in Cosmo

The latest turkish Cosmopolitan issue sponsors one of our great supporters Aslihan Gedik. Asli has lived in many different countries and therefore speaks English, French, Dutch and Spanish. Currently she is living in Frankfurt and is working as a banker. However, apart from being a banker she is also supporting us in our Lion Projects. Here is a summary of the article in the Cosmopolitan for all of you who aren’t fluent in turkish…

“We wonder how did the story of this beautiful and courageous girl start?  Asli begins to tell her story by saying, “Why should a banker not also be an environmentalist and animal lover?””

 

How did you start working with lions?

I have always had a great interest in the cat family, especially big cats! While travelling in Africa, I received an invitation from an organization studying the protection of lions and nature. That day I met with the “king of the forests” and I will remember that day forever.

 

You have done a lot of work for nature and animals, however we are most interested in your work with lions. Are you not scared of them?

Absolutely not. I think every animal feels your fear. If you show your fear, an animal detects this instantly. He is either also afraid of you or wants you to think so, therefore attacks. I am never afraid of animals.

 

How did you experience the first moment you touched a lion? 

Eleven months ago I had the first physical contact with a lion. I gathered my courage and experienced that moment with the lion experts. But of course to get to that point, I had to learn the necessary things; bend down to the lion, do not turn your back to him and no matter what, do not run away. Furthermore you should have nothing on your head. The solution is to put your shoes together, not wear a hat and extend your hand to the lion in a sturdy manner.

 

 

Who took the photographs you have shared with us?

Our lion expert, Leign-Ann Marnoch, and a new teammate Jonathon Conolly took the photographs. Professional photographers often do not want to take such photographs, as they are afraid to endanger their life. Our own little team is able to experience this special moment.

 

There are photographs of young lions. Did their mothers react to this?

The young lions photographed, were not accepted by their mother. The team looks after them for a while, like a mother (some are nurtured by a bottle). At a later stage, once they have learned how to hunt, they are integrated into the wildlife program.

 

You work as a volunteer for an organization called “Alert”. What do you do?

In Zimbabwe and Zambia, Alert (African Lion & Environmental Research Trust) is a scientific organization established in order to protect lions and nature. In 1975 the lion population was 200 thousand, but today only 20-30 thousand remain. Can you imagine Africa without any lions? Or a world without lions? What will be the meaning of La Fontaine’s fables “ not the king of the animal kingdom”. The philosophy of this group is to rescue lions, rehabilitate them, let them reproduce and then finally bring them back to nature. Our aim is to let the lions continue their lives in their natural habitat, away from people.

 

How do you manage to make time for lions in your intensive work schedule?

This is indeed a little difficult…when I have spare time I spend it trying to improve things. Systematically I spend a part of my salary to give back to and improve nature. Although it seems I have very little time, I am able to organize time because this is what I want.

 

Are you a vegetarian?

Yes. I also prefer to stay away from animal products like eggs. I know it is not right to expect everyone to do the same, but certainly I am against wearing fur, of course.

 

When you are leaving for a work trip, what do you bring in your bag?

Binoculars, hand cream, lip balm, a few books, magazines, photo camera, Rayban Aviator sunglasses, toothbrush, toothpaste, bikini, sunscreen, cell phone, Swiss army-knife, eye-spray, passport, wallet and full health insurance cards are always in my bag.

 

Which websites do you recommend to visit for more information?

The basis is to educate everyone. James Cameron’s Avatar film, and the message, “I see you,” is the most beautiful example of this philosophy. Everyone has to do something! If you would like more information and learn about what you can do for lions go to ‘lionalert.org’.

Cosmopolitan 2012

We thank Asli for her support and Cosmopolitan for the article on Asli and our project. If you would like to volunteer with us on one of our lion projects such as the Hands-on Lion Conservation Volunteering – Antelope Park Project, the Hands-On Lion Conservation Volunteering – Livingstone, Zambia Project and the Hands-on Lion and Conservation Volunteering – Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Project visit us on our African Impact site or take a look at Lion Alert. 

Social Media & Marketing Internship with African Impact!

If you are a budding social media enthusiasts or want to gain more hands on experience in the world of Marketing then our Marketing and Social Media Internship could be just what you are looking for.  Our current intern Luisa Berssenbrügge shares her experience of what it is like to be part of the African Impact team:

My name is Luisa and I have just recently finished my Master in Strategic Marketing in the Netherlands. Before starting my “serious” working life I wanted to go traveling to see a little more of the world…

In May 2010 I went to Kenya with African Impact for the Orphan and Teaching Project which ended up being the inspiration for my Master Thesis  “Marketing Strategies for Charities”; I  had a great time, met great people and was definitely inspired by everything I saw.  When I saw the marketing internship on the African Impact newsletter I knew that it was excatly what I wanted to do..

After several chats with African Impact’s booking section and an interview with the Marketing Manager the internship was fixed and I started looking forward to my two months in Cape Town.

I have now been in the city for about two weeks and my time here has been amazing. On my first days the previous intern led me through what my job would be like during the next two months and what my daily duties would be. I had a warm welcome from all of the people working in the office.  There is a really open and relaxed atmosphere which makes you feel free to ask questions whenever needed.  During the week I spend my time at the office working on updating our information on the company’s social media communication channels, preparing presentations, planning on who to contact for sponsorships etc. This is a really good opportunity for anyone who would like to work in the direction of marketing to get a glimpse into the huge marketing world.   Although I have done several internships before and have finished my studies I will most definitely learn a lot here and will be able to take these experiences to my first job.

As the weather is still great I can sit outside during my lunch break or go the the shopping centre that is right across the street. In the evenings I go back to the volunteer house where I am staying, have dinner with the volunteers and join them on their evening activities which include going to the Pub Quiz, watching movies or going out to one of the local restaurants and bars. We have also started to go on regular jogs with several of the volunteers and the view you get once you have reached the top of the incline en route is stunning. On the weekends there is more free time in which you can explore the city. I have always wanted to see penguins outside of a zoo so Boulders Beach was great, and the view from Cape Point is just stunning…

The Easter weekend still left me and the other volunteers with enough time to go to the city centre of Cape Town for a city bus tour with some shopping afterwards in the V&A Waterfront which, although quite touristy, is a great place to spend your day with lots of cafes, restaurants and shops. We also went on a wine tour to Stellenbosch and Paarl with several different wines to taste at the numerous wineries. Stellenbosch is so beautiful that we all agreed to come back one weekend to spend more time looking at the actual city and maybe to see some more vineyards. The next weekend is already fully booked with all the sites that are left to see like Robben Island, Table Mountain and the beaches in the surrounding area.

If you would like to join African Impact on the Marketing and Social Media Internship in Cape Town visit our website or give us a call on +27-21-785-4319.

Calling all Socialites!

Do you have a voice on the social media circuit? Do you blog, post, like and tweet until your in dangerous levels of sleep deprivation? If you love the buzz of social media, then why not become part of our exclusive network!

Joining us is a great way for you to raise your personal social media profile and gain greater exposure to the African Impact community! Not only this but you will also be the first to know all the inside information!  Email us now and ask to send out our Social Media Pack to find how you can be involved!

Top tips on joining us:

Facebook: Like us, share with us and keep connected.

Feel free to post your experiences, photos, stories

and adventures!

Twitter: Get connected with us and

chirp away @African_Impact

Word Press: If you are a budding blogger or a old veteran then join our team and become a guest writer… It’s really simple all you need to do is email us and let us know you would like to write a piece and we will send you login details.

Flickr: Got some good pics that you want to share?!  Just search “African Impact” and post away!

Film Editor extraordinaires… Whether you love the camera or it loves you, we are always looking for exciting footage of what you are up to on the projects. If you have angle and are not afraid to use it then unleash your inner Spielberg and go wild! Email us at info@africanimpact.com for more information!

Fundraising: If you are rafting your way through your fancy dress cupboard or have cupcakes coming out of your ears to raise funds for your trip then let us help support you! Keep us up to date with your progress and we will feature you on our website! And don’t forget… if you need a little inspiration then please email us for a copy for our NEW fundraising pack!

Coming to and end… or is it?

If you are suffering from the frustration of ‘normal’ life, and gliding back into your 9-5 is not as easy as you thought, send us an email for a copy of our ‘End of your Project’ pack to find out how you can stay involved and make that return trip happen sooner than you thought!!

We look forward to hearing from all you social media addicts!! And if you want to help out further whilst enjoying a life of blogging why not try one of our internships right here in Cape Town.

Marketing And Social Media Internship – Cape Town

Journalism & Media Internship – Cape Town

Film And Photography Internship – Cape Town

Investment Banker saves Lions

Asli featured in the Turkish version of 'Hello'

Asli Gedik – an ambassador to our Hands on Lion Rehabilitation Project at Antelope Park, Zimbabwe – has been an animal rights activist for many years – both in her native Turkey and also in Germany where she now lives and works. Born to Turkish Aristocracy in 1974, Asli learnt about promoting human, nature, environment and animal rights from an early age.

Now a top Investment Banker in Germany, Asli still finds time to pursue her passion for animal welfare. She is the coordinator of HAYTAP, an Animal Rights Federation responsible for Wildlife, Animal Testing and Fur commissions in Turkey, as well as recently becoming an official Ambassador for our partner organization ALERT (African Lion and Environment Research Trust).

We would like to thank Asli for her continued support and are looking forward to her joining us once again in the near future!

Donate your old iPhone Campaign!

FINALISTS at the 2011 British Youth Travel Awards!

AFRICAN IMPACT ANNOUNCED AS FINALISTS AT THE 2011 BRITISH YOUTH TRAVEL AWARDS!

We are pleased to announce that – for the second time – African Impact have just been announced as one of three FINALISTS at the BETA 2011 British Youth Travel Awards, in the Green Tourism Category! BETA is a non-profit trade association for those who operate in, or supply services to, education and or youth, student and educational travel. The awards acknowledge outstanding contributions to the industry, with the Green Tourism Category recognising responsible and sustained efforts in international tourism. We are extremely proud to have been nominated for this prestigious award and will continue to work to maximise our impact on the environment and local communities in which we work!

The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on December 8th – fingers crossed we will scoop the award!!

For more information about the awards visit: www.betauk.com

WINNERS FOR THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING AT THE IMVELO AWARDS!

WINNERS FOR THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING AT THE IMVELO AWARDS!

African Impact are pleased to announce, for the second year running, we are the WINNERS of the South African Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards 2011 in the Best social involvement programme.

This is a huge achievement and thanks must go to everyone for all the hard work from our staff members, volunteers and everyone who has supported our work here in Africa and have helped make this possible!

The awards recognise tourism and hospitality businesses that make a real, measurable and sustained contribution to responsible tourism.  This prestigious award has had a huge impact on tourism in South Africa, creating significant awareness of environmental management issues in the industry and African Impact are very proud to have been awarded this considerable achievement.

For more information about the awards please visit:  www.imveloawards.co.za

Finalist for the Imvelo awards!!

Fantastic news… African Impact have been nominated finalist for the best social involvement program for 2011!!  Yep you are right it is the same one we won last year, and with contenders such as Richard Branson we have some tough competition.

The Imvelo awards have had a huge impact on tourism in South Africa, creating significant awareness of environmental management issues in the industry.   They recognise tourism and hospitality businesses that make a real, measurable and sustained contribution to Responsible Tourism.

If you want some more information check them out on: www.imveloawards.co.za

All fingers and toes crossed please!!!