Elevate Destinations is proud to announce its first sustainability grant recipient: Children in the Wilderness, in partnership with Wild Survivors Tanzania, to support a women-led regenerative agriculture initiative in the Western Serengeti ecosystem of Tanzania.
The 2026 grantee project will provide a five-month regenerative agriculture training program for 10 women leaders from the villages of Mbilikiri and Bisarara and will focus on practical, community-based implementation tied directly to existing women’s enterprise activities such as beekeeping, permaculture farming, and value-added product production.
The initiative builds upon an already established network of approximately 100 women engaged in conservation-linked enterprises and aims to strengthen both livelihoods and environmental stewardship in the Serengeti landscape.
Women-led beekeeping enterprise in Western Serengeti.
Primary Goal
The core objective of the project is to strengthen women-led conservation enterprises by equipping 10 women leaders with regenerative agriculture skills that:
- Improve household livelihoods
- Restore ecosystems
- Increase climate resilience
- Support human–wildlife coexistence within the Serengeti ecosystem
Strategic Significance
The project positions tourism as a direct catalyst for conservation and community development and will:
- Create tourism-linked supply chains for locally produced goods such as honey, wax products, and fresh produce
- Strengthen conservation-compatible livelihoods
- Enhance storytelling opportunities for safari guests around women-led conservation initiatives
- Support coexistence strategies that reduce human–wildlife conflict, including beehive fencing systems that deter elephants from crop raids
This integrated approach demonstrates how tourism investment can simultaneously drive conservation outcomes, economic resilience, and women’s empowerment.
Women participating in regenerative agriculture training in Tanzania.
Existing Foundation & Prior Achievements
The proposal is notable because it builds upon an active and functioning community initiative rather than launching a new pilot program. Existing accomplishments include:
- Women-led beekeeping enterprises with growing honey production
- Permaculture gardens improving household nutrition
- Value-added product training (soap, candles, body products)
- Installation of a 6 km beehive fence that has significantly reduced elephant crop raids
- Training-of-Trainers programs to develop local expertise
This strong foundation increases the likelihood of sustainability and long-term impact.
Direct Impact
- 10 women fully trained in regenerative agriculture
- 10 demonstration farming sites established
- Improved agricultural productivity and soil health
- Increased food security and diversified income streams
Indirect Impact
- 50–100 additional women reached through peer learning
- Stronger women-led supply chains connected to tourism markets
- Reduced pressure on natural ecosystems
- Greater resilience to climate variability across communities
Long-Term Vision
The project envisions a future where:
- Women become leaders in conservation-compatible enterprises
- Regenerative agriculture restores degraded ecosystems
- Communities actively protect wildlife corridors
- Tourism supply chains are locally rooted and sustainable
- Women evolve into trainers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders
Beehive fencing system used to prevent elephants from raiding crops.
Elevate Sustainability Working Group
Founded in 2024, the Elevate Sustainability Working Group supports Elevate Destinations’ suppliers and partners worldwide with regular convenings and an annual grant to a selected partner for a regional project furthering sustainability.
For more information, contact us.
