our spotlight initiatives
Our Spotlight Initiatives
Education/Skill Exchange
We work with a number of Malawian Entrepreneurs on our Orbis Impact Expeditions. Sharing knowledge, business development workshops and mentoring programmes are at the heart of our Women’s Partnership Expedition, Entrepreneurs Journey and Bespoke Impact Expeditions. In 2018-2020 we brought together 60 Malawian entrepreneurs at our skill sharing workshops. 10% of your Orbis Impact Expedition cost goes to the Orbis Foundation Micro Finance Fund for Malawian entrepreneurs. Find out more about the work of The Orbis Foundation and why we support a model of Trade and Not Aid.
Ecotourism
The local economy in Malawi needs support and we are committed to using tourism to do this. Every visit made by an Orbis traveller contributes $20 per person to the local community organisation that hosts you. This acts as an income. It offers someone a job and gives you, the traveller, the most incredible local experience. Our ecotourism visits range from 1/2 day village visit to an overnight village style air b/n/b.
We have paid over $10,000 to communities through ecotourism business initiatives from 2014-2019.
Conservation Awareness
We want to guide you to the very best local projects to support during your time in Malawi. The first place to start is by offsetting your flight- in 2020 we began a collaboration with Zomba based initiative TREEZ. Headed up by our friends at Zomba Forest Lodge TREEZ is committed to using local education and community action to engage their surrounding villages to combat the devastating effects of burning and deforestation on the edges of Zomba Forest Reserve.
Raising funds and awareness for TREEZ is also our ‘purpose’ for our 2021 Orbis Trail Challenge.