Adventurers set off on African excursion
Australian philanthropist and adventurer set off from the Mayibuye community game reserve, on their overland journey through Africa.
PHOTO: Paul Railton
ZULULANDER, David Bozas is at the forefront of tourism philanthrophy helping international philanthropists and adventurers travel through Africa.
Bozas was the head ranger at Thula Thula Game Reserve for many years and is now one of the developers of Mayibuye big-five game reserve.
The development of the Mayibuye big-five community game reserve at Camperdown was inspired by elephant whisperer and author, Lawrence Anthony. His colleagues, Peter Kennedy, of BFG Retail; David Bozas, conservationist and Yvette Taylor of Earth Org, aimed for Mayibuye to become a new model for community game reserves in South Africa.
Australian philanthropist and adventurer, Micko O’Byrne and his Dutch partner, Liesbeth Goedhart, are setting off from the Mayibuye community game reserve on their overland journey through Africa.
Their aim for adventure and fun includes a deeper purpose to create development and empowerment for the communities they meet.
Their empowerment and community upliftment principle echo those of Mayibuye big five game reserve developers, Peter Kennedy and David Bozas, hence their offer to brand the vehicle and provide Mayibuye as the ideal point of departure.
The 4×4 will display a painting by renowned Aboriginal artist, Jimmy Pike, with whom O’Byrne has worked closely in uplifting the Australian outback community.
For O’Byrne, tourism and philanthropy are natural partners.
“Philanthropists are increasingly choosing to play a hands-on role in the global projects they support, which has created a niche market in the travel business.
‘I have taken many wealthy want-to-be-adventurers on novel and memorable tours to the outback and other remote spots, where they not only enjoy a travel adventure of a lifetime, but the satisfaction of meeting the communities they wish to support and empower.
‘They are charged a fee which includes a healthy donation to the community, before they even set off and, thereafter, once they have met the locals, they invariably become fully involved.’
‘Increasingly, it is not about ‘donating money,’ but ‘engagement,’ and they enjoy being part of the empowerment process,’ commented O’Byrne.
‘Without any structured plan, apart from knowing that we are travelling from Camperdown to The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Cape Town, Mozambique, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ruwanda, Botswana, Namibia and Morocco, before heading for Europe … meeting people and creating opportunities for philanthropic tourism, will be top of mind.’
