When Abercrombie & Kent offered Travel Weekly the chance to "take a look under the hood" of its philanthropic arm, I jumped.
After all, I had covered its (and many other tourism companies') giveback programs on and off over the past decade.
And while the jaded journalist in me has always been a bit skeptical about many of the efforts travel entities have launched to brand themselves as socially responsible and sustainable, I knew A&K was one of the founders of the movement more than 40 years ago, and I had seen firsthand the results of its long-term commitment.
What I didn't expect was to come away from A&K Philanthropy's leadership retreat at the company's Olonana Lodge in Kenya's Maasai Mara so inspired, not just by the breadth of programs that A&K Philanthropy has developed around the globe, but also by the talented and passionate people leading those efforts.
But most importantly, I saw the life-changing impact that programs that go beyond one-time donations or simple supply drops can deliver. I also saw how much more is needed, especially with the recent dramatic cuts in funding to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
A&K Philanthropy executive director Keith Sproule (left) and Partakilat head teacher Daniel Rokoi. Photo Credit: Jeri Clausing
At the Partakilat school near the Maasai Mara National Reserve, for instance, head teacher Daniel Rokoi thanked A&K Philanthropy executive director Keith Sproule for all his help with water filtration and feeding programs that he said have boosted attendance and performance. Then without missing a beat, he asked A&K Philanthropy to build a dining hall that could also be used as a community center. Sproule made no promises, but indicated to me later that the request would likely be forthcoming with the funding A&K Philanthropy will get from its share of proceeds from the company's next around-the-world private jet trip.
At the dedication of a library at Pusanki School in the same region, both school and government officials expressed their gratitude, then asked A&K Philanthropy for a science lab and a dormitory so kids don't have to walk for miles amidst the elephants and other wild animals.
Sproule compared the requests to "mission creep," a term that in the corporate world generally carries a negative connotation. But at A&K Philanthropy, it's a true sign of life-changing success from its long term commitments to delivering aid and changing attitudes.
That deeper impact was clear at the library dedication, where George Muchina, a local representative of the National Ministry of Education, boldly told the community members and students that "the issue of pulling girls out of schools to get married (for dowries) has got to stop. As long as they are under 18, they are still children and should be in school."
That's a message that A&K Travel Group advisory board chair Marett Taylor -- whose grandparents and uncle, Geoffrey Kent, founded A&K -- said would previously never have been spoken publicly in the Mara because it goes against longstanding traditions.
Likewise, we heard from the leader of an A&K Philanthropy-backed program that develops washable menstrual pads about how that effort has kept more girls in schools and led to sex education and awareness for both girls and boys.
Many of these programs, Sproule said, started with simple partnerships to feed students or supply water filters. But as company leadership has expanded its commitment -- and funding to A&K Philanthropy -- he has grown from a staff of three (including himself) 11 years ago to nearly two dozen, including 20 full-time "impact officers" who work with communities, lobby governments and coordinate with tour and hotel staff to develop excursions that take guests into the communities to see firsthand what their donations can fund.
So what does the travel industry need to do to keep building on successes like this? Public-private partnerships are key, Sproule said.
A classroom at the Partakilat school. Photo Credit: Jeri Clausing
While institutional ego and the desire by competitors to claim responsibility for philanthropic projects can hinder the best intentions, he said Signature Travel Network's nonprofit arm, Travel Elevates, has in recent years partnered with A&K Philanthropy on a few projects, including building a school in Cambodia. And in what he characterized as a promising but rare move, A&K Philanthropy and several other companies with safari camps in the Maara are banding together to build a high school.
"We have the upside of enhancing the destination profile and the upside of being able to represent what the industry is capable of," he said. "And you can bet the Kenya Tourism Board will amplify our message. And that benefits everyone."