Welcome to our 2006 Newsletter
The past months have again been a busy time to complete the promotional campaigns we started last
year. Now our website has more information and our name appears in several books including Fresco
Sylvio's Tanzania Guide and the Ethical Travel Guide of Tourism Concern. But more than this, we are
proud to say that there has never been such a high time to give back to the community. Well, we are
not a charity organization but it is our philosophy to run a form of tourism that improves the lives
of the local community. In this newsletter we have two examples of clients who adopted this philosophy
and made a difference to local families and school children. Read how the tours of the Norwegian Ståle
Anda to traditional kraals in Tanzania changed the life of a Maasai girl. Read how Alessandro from the
States fell in love with the land of Sanya Juu and "bonded with a family" he says he now considers part
of his own.
This time also, our newsletter ends with a honeymoon tour that P2P was honoured to organize. Welcome
to our 2006 newsletter.
The Maasai Girl and the Camera
Having stayed away from Africa for more than fifteen years, Ståle Anda decided to make a comeback when
his son turned twenty. His son had grown up in northern Europe, and now the father thought it was time
for him to see the other side of the world. And the other side of the world meant coming to Tanzania
for one full month of touring villages, kraals, townships and towns in five Regions of the country. Then
once during their journey in this vast area, his roving camera caught a Maasai girl without a place in
the society. A few weeks later when he presented the story of his trip to his students and fellow staff
in Norway, the image of the girl caught the attention of his listeners in a special way. The little
Maasai girl crawling in cow dung and away from the rest of the jovial kids was a neglected cripple.
Not long time ago, the Maasai did away with babies born with infirmity. Being a pastoral nomadic tribe,
such a physical disability was considered a hindrance to their mobile life. However, with government
intervention and modern influences, handicapped babies are now let to live, but in most cases they are
not helped to alleviate their disability due to helplessness or ignorance.
Filled with compassion, Ståle and his friends in Norway decided to raise a fund to send her to a
rehabilitation center. P2P was asked to administer the fund and already one million shillings has
been collected to cover her physiotherapy, equipment and accommodation at the center. We thank Ståle
and his people for their goodwill and concern.
On the slopes of Kilimanjaro for a change
Little did Alessandro from California know about African village life and community projects in rural
Tanzania when he asked P2P Safaris to prepare him a two week home-stay programme on the slopes of
Kilimanjaro as a break after his post graduate course. When he finally came and stayed with a local
family, worked with the community and ate Chagga traditional dish, he felt part of Oshara community.
See below his description of the tour followed by an extract from a letter of appreciation from the
community school where his host family worked.
My Tanzanian Cultural Exchange
"Tanzania offers an ideal combination of beautiful sites, deep culture, and friendly natives. I
recently completed a trip to Tanzania where I had the honour of staying with a family in the
Kilimanjaro village of Sanja Juu. While there, I was able to teach at the local school where my
host family taught. This was a great way to immerse myself in Tanzanian culture but it is not the
only way. The country offers many different journeys and experiences. A visitor has a range of
choices as to how they would like to plan their Tanzanian experience. I chose this path so that I
could better understand the Tanzanian people and their way of life. It turned out to be one of the
most valuable experiences of my life.
I had the benefit of staying with a beautiful family who treated me as if I were part of their own family.
Humphrey and Justina (husband and wife) introduced me to everything that is Tanzania. I met local
villagers, ate delicious home cooked meals, listened to stories about the country and its' people,
attended a traditional wedding ceremony, and most importantly bonded with a family I now consider
part of my own. I often sat down with Humphrey and Justina to drink a beer and exchange stories
about life. Their children are an incredible joy to play with and I was fortunate enough to exchange
many laughs with them as well.
"My friend Tatah of P2P Travels, who organized this cultural experience for me, also included trips to
local game parks such as Ngorogoro Crater. The abundance and beauty of game parks in Tanzania is truly
amazing. Tanzania offers something for everyone's style of travel and adventure. Most of all, it is
the native Tanzanians that have the most to offer. For the reasons mentioned above as well as many
others, I look forward to my next trip to Tanzania in 2007 with great anticipation."
-Alessandro Stroscio
Ref: Letter of Appreciation
The school management board of Oshara Secondary School takes this opportunity, on behalf of the entire
community to send our gratitude and appreciation to your company P2P for organizing and coordinating
the visit of Mr. Alessandro Stroscio from California, USA to our school last July.
Mr. Alessandro Stroscio has been very resourceful to the school and it is true to say he has cut across
geographical and cultural barriers to bring Oshara close to the world, and the world close to Oshara.
Within the short period he worked in the school, he introduced our students to the use of computers
and the internet. Before his visit we did not include computer lessons to our curriculum and we are
grateful that he initiated this. . . .
-Extracted from a letter by the Dean of Academics to P2P
The Wine at the Crater
When Rupert and Kaoru finished their trip and we asked them how it went, there was one hotel they
remembered most, and with excitement! And this was Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge that virtually hangs
at the rim of the Crater.
The evening they arrived here, they were courteously led into a beautiful room adorned with flowers and
wine (when we sent the booking vouchers for their accommodation we remembered to add the note;
"Honeymooners, please treat them well"). And more to their pleasure the room had wide glass doors
opening to a balcony facing the scenic chasm of Ngorongoro Crater where they had spent a long day of
a fabulous game-drive. Now the best thing for the two lovers to do before dinner was to take a quick
shower, then relax at the balcony sipping wine, enjoying life and watching the sun setting behind
this prodigious crater.
Now as the sun finally disappeared, the light in the room attracted flying insects and it was wise
to close the glass door to keep them off. Then when it was time to get back to the room and head for
dinner, they found they had locked themselves out! When they shut the door, the inside latch had not
been dislodged! Now what to do?
First they banged and banged at the door with the expectation that somebody would hear them. But
nobody heard them because all the lodgers were already in the dining room at the ground floor. Now
they remained here between the glass door and the crater thinking hard! But Rupert and Kaoru are wise
people, when on safari they always carry a flashlight. Quickly, they used it to make signs and
immediately the lodge watchmen noticed them!
Rupert is from England and his bride is Japanese. The wedding was held in London and afterwards they
chose to fly to Tanzania for a two-week honeymoon break. After a week in Zanzibar, P2P was honored to
organize their safari around Ngorongoro and Serengeti.
