AI Magazine Issue 3 2017

52 Acquisition International - March 2017 Maasai Wanderings was founded in 2005 by Naseeb Mfinanga (Tanzanian) and Donna Duggan (Australian but Tanzania resident) and has been steadily growing ever since. In a special guest article, Donna Duggan shares her insight into the safari and trekking adventures in Tanzania that the firm offers, as part of our Prominent Women in Business series. e operate safari and trekking adventures in Tanzania – focusing onwildlife viewing, landscape explorations and cultural interaction. We initially established ourselves to create an income opportunity to filter through to our school and community projects in several Maasai villages throughout northern Tanzania. From there, we have made a name for ourselves as an ethical, fair-traded and committed outfit that cares enough to take travellers on the adventure of a life time. Maasai Wanderings primarily focus on the English and French speaking markets, although we do have partnerships in place with Italian, Spanish and German-speaking markets. We have more recently branched out to other destinations within Africa, and Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Namibia are new hotspots for us. We are lucky to receive a high percentage of repeat clients and sometimes they want to explore more than Tanzania – so this is where we have established partnerships in these locations who have a similar vision with regards to the client services and experiences. Maasai Wanderings also own and operate Nasikia Camps, a portfolio of tented camps located in the national parks of the northern safari circuit in Tanzania. Company: Maasai Wanderings Ltd Contact: Donna Duggan Email: donna@ maasaiwanderings.com Address: Arusha, Tanzania Web: www.maasaiwanderings. com/maasaiwanderings/index. html The Largest Untapped Reservoir in theWorld W 1703AI73 The extent women are join boardrooms Historically in the safari business, the operations and logistics were often done by men. It was a rugged and wild job, but full of the thrill of the adventure. Women tended to play a more administrative role or that of a travelling companion. Whereas these days, I see women taking on the more gruelling tasks of logistics, staff management, tour leading, guiding, negotiations with authorities and also seeking new areas to explore. I see women and their attention to detail to be a crucial part of creating a perfectly unforgettable safari for travellers in today’s world. I can honestly say that the majority of the safari itineraries we operate are unique from one another – indeed we concentrate on listening not only to people’s budget and wish list - but also to what activities and experiences they are hoping for, the style of accommodation, type of guide, length of time they have and who they are. From this, we design an itinerary that caters for their personal needs and expectations. I don’t think that a safari can just be ‘bought off the shelf’ – I think they are on the shelf for us to get ideas but tailoring them to suit guests as individuals is so very important. Reflections on a balanced workforce It is a fact that the more women are educated - the more successful they are – this in turn leads to more successful and healthier families and futures. It is no secret that when a woman has the opportunity to learn and earn, a community benefits as a whole; health behaviours and hygiene improve, peer support and mentoring improve, communication and awareness improve, and so do goal setting and financial planning, and men are encouraged as allies and advocates. When women lead, it often comes with a nurturing affect where everyone involved moves forward in a positive manner. Women are adaptable within their role, they are natural leaders who have the endurance to problem solve with care. In the words of Hilary Clinton, ‘Women are the largest untapped reservoir in the world.’ Insight into my job role As the director of Maasai Wanderings, my role is vast and varied. I primarily focus on sales and