When planning the proverbial “bucket list” safari, most travelers ask themselves three questions:

1. What animals do I want to see?
2. What countries and parks are best for viewing those animals?
3. What will it cost me?

A question that isn’t generally considered, but ought to be is:
Which of the safari outfitters on my list is committed to philanthropic values?
And if that’s the question, the answer is undoubtedly Micato Safaris.

The company’s steadfast commitment to sustainability through education has benefited millions of the most vulnerable and impoverished women and children in Africa. Micato’s philanthropic arm, AmericaShare, was established in 1986—rooted in the belief that nature can only thrive when surrounding local communities do as well. Today, AmericaShare directs Micato’s charitable work, which is focused primarily on educational and community outreach for those living in the Mukuru slum of Nairobi, Kenya.

With the generous help of past Micato travelers, the company opened the Micato-AmericaShare Harambee Community Centre in 2007, which serves as a community living room of sorts, housing a library and computer center and offering educational and healthcare resources that improve lives in rural Eastern Africa. During their safaris, Micato guests often visit the Harambee Centre and see first-hand the direct impact these educational and community outreach programs have on the lives of local children and their families.

The success of this program was the catalyst for expansion, leading Micato-AmericaShare to establish the Red Hill Library and Community Centre in South Africa. Just like at the Harambee Community Centre, Micato guests are inspired by their visits.

Even without a visit to these community centers, all safari guests contribute to a child’s education. For each Micato traveler, AmericaShare sends a child to school, covering all fees.

Micato-AmericaShare also works closely with Huru International, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring girls don’t miss schooling for lack of access to sanitary pads and menstrual education. During the pandemic, the partnership between the two nonprofits expanded, and together they provided over 100,000 reusable facemasks to those in need.

When COVID forced schools to close, Micato-AmericaShare purchased and distributed smartphones loaded with learning resources and necessary data to over 400 students in its school sponsorship program. The organization made remote learning even more accessible by hiring teachers, developing online curriculum, and creating online study groups allowing children to remain connected and engaged while schools were closed—just one of the many examples of how Micato delivers on its belief that education is the greatest resource of all.