Origins
Dorobo Safaris was started in the early 1980s, in the early days of Tanzanian ecotourism. Even then it was clear that expanding agriculture and charcoal burning posed a threat to sustainable livelihoods and to the conservation of northern Tanzania's extraordinary biodiversity and wildlife.
By 1991, Dorobo had helped initiate the first joint-venture agreements with local Maasai villages: payment in exchange for access to village lands for tourism. The villages set aside large concession areas where agriculture and charcoal burning were prohibited, but other activities such as seasonal livestock grazing could continue. The original contracts remain in place, after innumerable meetings, re-negotiations and amendments, decades later.
By the mid-1990s, those at Dorobo had become convinced that a broader, more holistic approach was needed. Communities needed support to carry out land-use planning, build their capacity for natural resource management, and address the constant struggles over resource rights and land tenure that villagers across Tanzania were facing.
Several Maasai activists who had worked with KIPOC, one of the first official Maasai NGOs, were recruited. To channel philanthropic funds, the Dorobo Fund, a 501(c)3, was registered in the US, and a locally implementing trust, the Ujamaa Community Resource Trust (UCRT), was born in Tanzania in 1997.
The People of the Fund
The Dorobo Fund for Tanzania has its origins in numerous people. Having the privilege of growing up in Tanzania, the Peterson “boys”, Daudi, Thad and Mike, started Dorobo Safaris, joined and energized early on by their wives Trude, Robin and Lisa.
Mzee Mika, the old Dorobo from the Maasai steppe, provided an early perspective. Maasai elder Loure Parmelo offered wisdom on the dynamics of Maasai culture and pastoralism. Maroba, the Hadza from Yaeda, gave insights into a different way of looking at the world. Key among the supporters stand Richard Leider, Susan Boren and Marilyn Mason.
UCRT, carrying out the work of the Fund, would not be possible without people like Edward Loure, Partalala, Makko and Maanda, committed individuals with roots in their communities and a similar vision. Of course there are countless others, too many to mention all, who have influenced and supported the work. We're grateful for all.
The Board of Trustees: Susan Boren, Jon Cox, Richard Leider, Daudi Peterson, Mike Peterson, Thad Peterson, Allan Weber, Shelly Wolfe.
Program Areas
Community partnerships
Joint ventures with Maasai villages since 1991: annual fees and visitor bed-night fees paid into village accounts, with use prioritized by the community. Continued access for livestock grazing is safeguarded by contractual stipulation.
Education
Educational support for Hadza youth, employment and training of village guides, and student programmes that build classrooms and clinics alongside community partners.
Conservation
Land-use planning and natural resource management: 250 km² of the Tarangire ecosystem protected from agricultural encroachment, including key migratory corridors, plus traditional economy zones for Hadza land use.
Long-term sustainability
Revenue sharing that incorporates adjacent villages, ward and district, ensuring political support for land and resource rights, and tourism that bolsters the self-identity of communities facing prejudice.
