The winner of the Travel Foundation and Travel Weekly charity vote is an initiative that enables the use of safer, cleaner fuel in Masai villages in Kenya.
Travel Weekly teamed up with the Travel Foundation to allow readers to vote for the tourism project they would like to see receive £5,000 funding next year.
The money will be used to provide training and equipment for Masai women, enabling them to create a new fuel source – cow dung briquettes.
The project will help protect the women from dangerous encounters with elephants by reducing their need to search for firewood. It will also provide income for the villages from the sale of the briquettes to tourist lodges.
Travel Foundation chief executive Sue Hurdle said: ‘We are delighted to be able to extend funding to the winner of the project vote – the Masai cleaner fuel project.
“This simple but hugely effective initiative brings so many benefits to local communities that have done so much for tourism in Kenya. It helps to protect the environment, prevents harm to women from wildlife whilst searching for fuel, and it provides a new opportunity for the women to increase their income from tourism, helping to lift them and their families out of poverty.
“All of the four shortlisted projects were worthy winners and we will continue our support in each of these destinations in the future.’
The Masai fuel project will be implemented by Dr Cheryl Mvula from Tribal Voice Communications.
She said: “Winning this grant means that 1,000 more Masai villagers will benefit from our alternative fuel/ livelihoods initiative in Kenya.
“The women will also potentially have an important new livelihood stream selling surplus briquettes to neighbouring safari lodges and camps in the Masai Mara.”
The three other projects included a fish-farming education project in Tobago; training whale shark guides in Cancun, Mexico; and supporting the lacemaking trade in parts of Sri Lanka hit by the 2005 tsunami.