The eco view
We appreciate the fact that we enjoy a unique privilege: we have the honour of hosting one of the few lodges to be permitted within a national park - an area that is otherwise exclusively dedicated to the preservation of its wilderness and wildlife. We also appreciate the support of the human community that surrounds this wilderness area, on whom we rely for the provision of staff members, guides, dancers and entertainers; and who also welcome our guests to their village and provide fresh produce for their meals. Consequently we host a number of eco-programmes, all of which are designed to support and sustain the natural and human community of which we are a part. Such programmes vary according to need, but presently they are as follows:
- Since 1990 we have worked in cooperation with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in hosting an ambitious re-afforestation programme for Amboseli.
- We offer subsidized medical care to the local community - particularly in relation to maternal care and child-immunization; also in relation to HIV/AIDS sensitization.
- We create both temporary and permanent jobs for the local community. We also offer training and work-exposure programmes for school leavers
- We encourage interface between our guests and the local villages - hosting tours and promoting the sale of handicraft items
- We showcase Maasai dance, costume, singing and cultural craft as part of our corporate undertaking to support and sustain the cultural heritage of our nation
- We support local orphanages and hospitals, mostly via the provision of food stuffs, but also by means of voluntary support visits by our staff
In terms of its own ecological ‘foot' print, the lodge abides by a code of responsible practice in relation to: energy conservation (inverter systems have recently been installed so as to reduce the lodge's use of diesel-fuelled generators), waste recycling (glass, plastics, ‘wet waste'), sewage disposal, air emissions, non-CFC use, pesticide-use, noise reduction and visual pollution. Wherever possible, local produce is featured on the menus.
In order to promote the overall health of their workforce, Serena has also established the Employee Wellness Programme, which aims to address the holistic health needs of not only Serena's staff, but also of the communities that surround their lodges. In essence, the programme is devoted to reducing the incidence of accident and illness in the workplace, promoting healthy lifestyles, maximizing potential, and promoting optimum quality of life.
