About Us
Who are we?
Rau Eco & Cultural Tourism Enterprise is a youth led community based and sustainable tourism programme, which was established in 2013 following the guidelines for Cultural Tourism Programmes of Tanzania (CTPT). The CTPT is under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism supervised by Tanzania Tourist Board section of Cultural Tourism Programme and was officially registered in 2014 with registration No. CTP/REG.014.
We organize eco-friendly tourism activities involving the local people who live in the skirts of Rau Forest Reserve around Moshi. One of our main strategies is to empower youth and women through eco and cultural tourism activities and to increase people’s awareness on environmental conservation.
We are taking leadership for the following topics:
Metaphoric version of our vision
We are a very healthy tree with strong roots, which are on one hand our time together in school and college and on the other hand our common founding of Rau Eco & Cultural Tourism Enterprise. Our powerful trunk bears testimony to the challenges we have faced and to all the knowledge and wisdom we have gained. The main branches are diverse and attractive and visited by many birds, butterflies, bees and monkeys. The leaves shine in a colorful green and enjoy being part of the tree. The tree produces many sweet and delicious fruits. Everything is fertile and wealthy.Our Vision speech
Dear friends of Rau Forest Reserve Community. Today, on August 1, we – Daniel, Hamis and Linus - are very proud to stand here amongst all of our friends. In 2013 we founded Rau Forest Eco & Cultural Tourism Enterprise. In the past seven years we have encountered many ups and downs, we have had challenging and joyful times. Being role models, leaders and visionaries we knew that we never give up and just followed our path. And that’s where we have arrived today:
Our enterprise – Rau Forest Eco & Cultural Tourism Enterprise – is healthy and strong. Right now we are 20 people, who are working for us: full of joy and passion for the important work we do. By following our purpose – which is to protect the Rau Forest Reserve and to be a Role Model for other CTEs and young people - we have developed a handful of unique tours. Our target group – young people from 18 to 35 – are attracted by our purpose and by the benefits they get from our tours: they like to contribute to afforestation, like to learn, like to get to know the local food and our local people and like to relax in the silence of the forest. We are the number one destination in Moshi town for tourists interested in sustainable tourism, wildlife conservation and hiking.
Our most important asset – besides the forest – are you, the local people. We have successfully involved many of you in our tours: You cook the local food for our visitors, show your traditional dances as part of our cultural heritage and share your herbal and plant expertise with our guests. Some of your daughters work with us in the administration of our growing enterprise. And all that brings wealth to the villages. By raising your awareness for the protection of the environment we have gained your support to combat the waste problems, especially reducing and reusing the plastic, which is thrown by the local people at the skirts of the forest.
Currently we have managed to plant more than 100,000 indigenous tree species in collaboration with different stakeholders such as the Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots Clubs, Tanzania Forest Services Agency, Operational Groundswell, Enadallal Cultural, Tumbili Voyages and Osiwoo Safari, the local government Authority and many others.
With your help and support we will go on growing – in an organic way like the trees in Rau Forest Reserve do.
Visitors’ DOS and DON’TS Around Rau Forest Reserve and The adjacent Communities.
Rau Forest reserve Community welcomes you and wishes you an interesting and pleasant tour around the local villages and in the forest. We hope that you will enjoy our beautiful forest, people and culture, our natural environment and the other attractions that you will encounter during your visit.
In order to make your tour an environmentally and socially responsible one, here are some DOS and DON’TS to our customers:
DOS
DON’TS.
