| Name of the facility | Sentinel Mara Camp |
|---|---|
| Certification Achieved | Bronze |
| Year opened | 2012 |
| Tourism region | Masai Mara/South Rift |
| County | Narok |
| Address | Narok Map It |
| Telephone/Mobile | +254795325782 |
| [email protected] | |
| Website | sentinelmaracamp.com |
| Facility Notes | Sentinel Camp is located the Masai Mara close to the Misiara Marsh section. The camp is specifically located on Global Positioning System (GPS) Coordinates, Latitude -1.274623(1°16′28.658″S|| Longitude 35.040151 (32°2′24.543″E).It was opened in 2012. It has seven (7) guest tents, 1 guide tent with a bed capacity of 16 visitors and a total work force of 18 employees. The camp is set beside the Mara River providing excellent view of the river and various wildlife species that frequent the area. Wildlife found in within the area include; crocodiles, buffalo, bush back, eland, elephant, giraffe, leopard, lion, wildebeest and zebra. Various bird species are also found within this locality including plovers and Malachite Kingfishers. The area is mainly inhabited by the Masai people. Potential threats to the ecosystem include poaching, overgrazing by a growing population of Masai herders and scarcity of water |
| Energy management | The camp primarily runs on solar power. The facility has invested in mobile solar panels for lighting. The camp uses rechargeable solar packs for lighting within the guest tents from Solar Smart energy Solutions. The compound within the camp is also illuminated by solar lanterns. The camp uses solar rechargeable torches. The camp has 2 backup generators of 2KVA each. Charcoal is sourced locally and used for staff cooking and at the camp fire. Energy use is monitored on a monthly basis. The facility uses LPG gas for cooking for guests. Energy saving bulbs are used throughout the camp for energy efficiency. The facility also uses a two charcoal fridges to store vegetables. The fridges are watered using recycled dish washing water. |
| Environmental management | Sentinel Mara Camp is guided by its environmental policy that emphasizes on dedication to the practice of sound environmental stewardship, promotion of health and safety of guests and employees as well as integration of all social and environmental concerns in their business operations. The camp has dully conducted an annual self-environmental audit as required by EMCA 1999 (Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act) Ref Number NEMA/EA/NRK/5/2/166 |
| Chemical use | Sentinel Mara Camp uses biodegradable bathroom amenities from Cinnabar Green for guests .The camp uses Bio-Clean for dishwashing. Cleaning within the tents is done using only EM2 mixed with molasses. Fuel (Diesel) is stored in a 250 litre tank. |
| Conservation Criteria | |
| Community Criteria | |
| Solid waste management | Waste separation is conducted at source. Plastic, glass and metallic waste is then taken to a recycling center at Aiton. Paper is burnt in a pit Organic waste is buried in shallow holes that are used to plant trees. As a waste reduction measure, the facility provides guests with water from refillable glass jars. |
| Water management | The camp obtains its water from Musiara Spring. The water is stored in mobile holding tanks with a capacity of 500 litres. The facility monitors water consumption on a daily basis. The usage is further analyzed per guest and in all major consumption areas such as the kitchen. Total usage for the camp is analyzed on a monthly basis. The camp has installed dual flush toilets to minimize water usage when flushing toilets. Laundry services are outsourced to a company in Nairobi to minimize water abstraction from the spring. The camp uses only bucket showers at the guest tents. The guests are also sensitized on minimum water use using signage and “towel talks” in the tents to promote reuse of towels and linen. |
| Visitor communication & education | Visitors are briefed upon arrival on the camp’s operations and environmental values. The guest tents are equipped with room information folders to brief the visitors on environmental conservation and operations of Sentinel Mara Camp The camps has a resource area for guest at the lounge tent furnished with books detailing the various flora and fauna found within the Mara Ecosystem as well as the greater East Africa region. Décor within the camp includes sculptures various keystone species and are aimed at initiating conversations on issues regarding those species such as poaching. The guests are also educated on the local culture in the evenings during bonfires by the local guides. |
| Pollution | The camp uses paraffin lanterns– to minimize light pollution at night |
| Environmental conservation | Sentinel Mara Camp supports wildlife conservation through the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project through regular donations. The guides at the camp also assist in species monitoring for the project. |
| Waste water management | Black water from the guest tents and staff quarters is treated using effective microorganisms (EM 1). EM are mixed cultures of beneficial naturally-occurring organisms. EM 1 is a liquid bacterial product comprising three groups of microbes: Yeast, Photosynthetic Bacteria, and Lactic Acid Bacteria. The Microorganisms speed up the breakdown of organic matter, thus eliminating the need to treat water using chemicals. |
| Purchasing and supplies | Vegetables and fruits are packed in reusable crates while meat and dairy products are stored in freezers. Where possible dry goods are bought in bulk to reduce on the packaging. Most of the vegetable supplies and honey is bought locally from the staff. The stuff also ran the curio shop within the camp. The camp purchases 3 goats monthly for the staff. |
| Employment and remuneration/staff welfare | The facility has a staff welfare committee that meets regularly to deal with staff issues with the management. |
| Staff education, communication and awareness training | Notice boards are used to facilitate communication to the staff. |
| Cultural preservation and promotion/protection of local sites | Sentinel Mara Camp promotes local culture through village visits by the guests to experience authentic local culture. The guests are also educated on the local culture during evening camp fires by the local guides. Special occasions such as birthdays for guests are celebrated in the local Masai Culture. |
| Benefits to local community/community empowerment | A majority of the employees at the camp are drawn from the local community and trained at the camp. The camp supports the community in various aspects related to conservation and education. They include; • Donations to the Mara Rianta Academy • The community benefits through bed night fees and booking fees on a monthly basis. • The community earns from village visits from the guests from the camp. Paid at the rate of 20 USD for adults and 10 USD for children. This is paid through a ticket system. • Through the Business for life NGO, the community has benefitted through training for livelihoods improvement through creating alternative incomes. So far 50 people from Mara Rianta have been trained with 80% success rate. • The camp has also donated solar lighting for the warden patrolling the area from Narok County Council. |
| Cultural Criteria | |
| Health and safety | The facility has an emergency procedure and emergency contacts in place included in the room information folder within the guest tents. Fire exits assembly points are properly marked and displayed within the camp. There is a Fire safety team of 4 staff members trained on firefighting. Medical emergencies are referred to the nearby clinic. Air evacuation with flying doctors can also be arranged in case of emergency. The facility has a fully equipped first aid as well as a team of 7 staff members trained on First Aid. Food handlers have undergone medical tests in compliance with Food, Drugs, and Chemical substances Act. Cap 25 |
| Child labor, abuse and human rights | The facility adheres to the legal employment age. |
| Business Practises Criteria | |
| Entry Date | 12th March 2018 |
