Karibu Sana! I’d like to share a bit of my own story to help launch the Undugu Safari’s Newsletter. I’m from a village named “Mto Wa Mbu - The Mosquito River.” Mto Wa Mbu is just a few hours from Arusha City which is the safari capital of the world and a central gateway of tourism into Tanzania. At 7 years old I developed an interest in Safari and became determined to become a tour operator and eventually run my own tour company to show others the Tanzanian Adventure. To my discovery, I found it very difficult to start a tour company and at the time, my parents couldn’t do much to help me achieve this dream. Our family wasn’t rich in luck but we did have a strong determination to create a tomorrow for ourselves. So with encouragement from my family and friends, I chose to chase my lifelong dream.
Since the earliest morning I can remember, I’ve seen the sun rise again and again, telling me to keep pushing forward. I like to spend each day reflecting on what I’ve achieved and haven't, reflection is a vital part of my success and who I’ve become. Every evening after school and on the weekends I’d go into the village to mingle with different tourists to offer free tours and practice my English. I became very good at selling wood carvings, artwork and jewellery to earn some extra money too. I fell in love with the tourism business; it created and continues to create relationships with people from all over the world.
Focusing on my dream and keeping God first in my life brought me to where I am today in tourism. Owning and operating Undugu Safaris is such a blessing for me, I know it is the result of all of the encouragement from my Mom, Family and Friends that helped me to get to the place I am today. Focusing on my dream and keeping God first in my life brought me to where I am today in tourism. Owning and operating Undugu Safaris is such a blessing for me, I know it is the result of all of the encouragement from my Mom, Family and Friends that helped me to get to the place I am today. My Mom used to say that God created me and my siblings for unique purposes and that if we obeyed his commandments, we’d be the head and not the tail, above, not beneath. What a lovely + encouraging word from the Lord and a reminder from my beautiful Mom.
Deuteronomy 28:13
13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.
In 2003, my father passed; it was a huge loss to our family, leaving us stressed and without a source of income. 3 years later, I finished primary school, and without a source of income, my family could not afford to send me to secondary school. So I took responsibility for myself and traveled to Arusha city, where there are many tourists and worked on selling enough tours to continue my education. I don't really remember who told me this but a good person once told me, “Your only way to get out of poverty and become independent is education, so study hard and you will have a good life like others.” I often reflect on -
Proverbs 4:13
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.
I prayed for a very long time for God to bless me with the finances to finish my education and start my very own tour company. It didn't take long for God’s plans to outweigh my own vastly. In July 2007, I was completing my morning routine and decided to go to all the big hotels in Arusha city when I met a group of American Missionaries. They were two families, Klemp and Mayfield, who became very interested to know who I was and why I wasn’t in school that morning. So I explained to them my story, and they fell in love with me and Karen Klemp decided that she would take care of me because “God has great things in store for me.” So Karen decided to cover my cost to go to secondary school until 2017, finishing my degree in Wildlife Tourism. Wow, it was a light that shined on me, causing my dreams to come true that day.
In 2021, I met Michael Perez in Kenya as we were both working as volunteers for a ministry called Commission Mankind. We spent time together living in the same house and driving the same car, travelling on the mission field and after a while, we became brothers. One day, while we were driving our probox, we started talking about our dreams, and we both knew that we’d be starting a company together selling safaris and tours. It didn't take us long to develop a name for our company, Undugu Safaris - “Undugu meaning brotherhood in Swahili.” The US name became natural to us because we are brothers.
Undugu Safaris is the birth of a dream I’ve had since I was a little boy. I cannot express how much it’ll mean to you to join US on an expedition in the East African Wild. Undugu Safaris is inviting all to the great exploration of the East African Wild. We promise to always seek out unbelievable moments in the best environments for all of our Undugu Safari Guests. We will provide a quality experience with character and professionalism to make every US Safari worth each moment.