Decalogue

Campi ya Kanzi believes in having a self-conduct code. We believe true ecotourism needs to address each of the following points.

1. Real involvement of local communities: Conservation in the 21st century should consider people, so the first point for ecotourism should be how a tourist facility relates to the local communities. Campi ya Kanzi is a community lodge, in community land, employing locally, paying tourism revenues locally, assisting with a Trust for the local community.
2. Environmental footprint on water usage: Campi ya Kanzi fulfills all its water needs by cropping the rains and storing water in special PVC bladders. We have a water catchment of approximately 8,500 square meters (over 90,000 square ft) and a water storage of approximately 1,200,000 liters (nearly 350,000 gallons).
3. Environmental footprint on electricity usage, hot water, cooking:  We use only renewable energies. Photovoltaic panels for our electricity; solar boilers for hot water; we cook all our food in "Agha" stoves where a charcoal made from coffee husks is used (this eco-friendly charcoal is a project of the United Nations Environmental Program, we have been the first lodge to adopt it, 12 years ago).
4. Preservation of wilderness: Hard to consider ecotourism not linked with preserving the wilderness one visits. MWCT and Campi ya Kanzi have the same mission: preserving the Maasai Wilderness of the Greater Kilimanjaro Ecosystem. See here how they address this.
5. Preservation of wildlife: The same applies to wildlife. Ecotourism is about protection of natural resources. In our ecosystem the most valuable resource is wildlife. See here how we address this.
6. Preservation of culture: Ecotourism cannot happen without considering the local communities. In our case we are dealing with arguably the most iconic tribe of Africa, whose culture is still very much alive, and deserves full protection. See here how we address this.
7. Use of local guides: In order to support the local communities not only an eco facility should employ locally, but also train local staff. Campi ya Kanzi has a staff of 65 Kenyans, 90% of which are local Maasai. All guides, trackers, maids and waiters are Maasai from the community. 
8. Environmental footprint in recycling wastes: Not only do we use recyclable energies for our electricity, for our hot water and for our cooking, we also recycle all of the recyclable wastes: organic waste goes into the camp compost, utilized in our organic vegetable garden; wastes are separated (glass, paper, plastic, tins) and recycled were feasible. The un-recyclable wastes are incinerated in a specially built incinerator.
9. Environmental footprint in building: Our buildings were built not only with sustainable materials collected locally (lava rocks, thatched grass roofs, etc.), but we avoided any landscaping. No soil was removed (beside the digging for the foundations), and no trees were cut. Local people were employed, instead of contracting builders from outside.
10. Environmental footprint of supplies: Sometimes buying locally is implied as a good environmental practice. It depends on the circumstances. We buy from Nairobi suppliers in bulk, using the best of our knowledge to support those suppliers who care about the environment. Where we are located, local farming is done totally unsustainably; it is leading to subdivision of the land. Often lodges purchasing locally contribute to the destruction of the environment.