Your holiday can make a real difference to Watamu.

It can help protect the environment, traditions and cultures-the things that make your visit special. And it can improve the well-being of local families, spreading the benefit of your visit to those who need it most. Most importantly it can help ensure that Watamu is a great place to visit for generations to come.

At Turtle Bay Beach Club, we have a special relationship with the community and have a history of supporting local conservation projects. We have a dedicated community and conservation office which is now being administered full time by Chris Magero, a graduate of University of Nairobi.

The office is funded by profits made from the hotel, especially the Excursions office, which is why Excursions and Community fall under one department.

Would you like to give a little back to the community after your holiday? Here's the low-down on how you can help.

Giving out Pens and other Gifts

Many people like to give out pens, exercise books, sweets etc whilst on their visit. Whilst it's really important to give and to help, Turtle Bay Community office is promoting responsible ways to help. We recommend that you don't give items directly to children you meet as this encourages them to beg. If you'd like to give pens, stationery or any other items, please give them to the Community office, opposite Reception. We will give the items to the teachers to distribute. The children will still benefit, and we won't be encouraging children to beg from foreigners.

If you would like to give stationery items to children, please buy them here in Kenya. This saves your luggage allowance and may also save local Kenyan industries. Well-meaning community organisations have destroyed Kenya's textile industry by sending out cheap or free second-hand clothes. The best way to help Kenyan people in the long run is to help build the economy.

Sponsoring Children

Please be extremely careful if a child approaches you with stories of how they need help with school fees. Primary School is now free in Kenya. More importantly though, some children, or even parents, take advantage of begging for school fees. Even those who do go to school often develop problems and can become dependent on donors for their every need.

Any guest who wishes to contribute to a child's secondary education can do so through a well managed bursary fund called ASSETS. Each child who applies is means tested so we make sure we give to those children who need it most. By giving responsibly and encouraging parents to give what they can, local people retain their dignity and independence whilst giving their children the best start in life. More info about ASSETS can be found at www.assets-kenya.org or visit the community office.

Projects Supported by Turtle Bay

Working for the Children of Watamu

Registered Charity No. 1098731 was founded by Sue & Dave Hayward. Turtle Bay Beach Club have been proud to support this charity since it started Over the past 8 years much progress has been made through hard work and dedication. 3 schools have been built that now educate around 700 children. A library has been opened that houses 15,000 books and a computer room with 25 machines that are ready willing and able to change lives through education. As education is the road out of poverty for adults and children. Many of the children at the school are sponsored, there are over 250 riding bicycles that have been bought through the charity by Turtle Bay Guests and sponsors.

Environmentally Watamu SDA School where the charity works was the first to embrace the tree planting project which took place in February 2007, with an aim regenerating indigenous species of trees to our environment and also creating an inter-relationship within the local community and the guests. More than 40 seedlings were introduced to the school where both the children and the Turtle bay’s guests participated.

The next main project to be undertaken by the Children of Watamu Charity is to build a Happy House, for the many orphans now in Watamu and the surounding area. The initial building work will begin in August 2008. For more information please visit the website at www.childrenofwatamu.net or email Sue at sue@childrenofwatamu.net 

If you would like to visit the schools are need any further information please contact the Community and Conservation Office at Turtle bay Beach club.

Kupenda for the Children

Helping children with special needs in Gede Small Home and other units in Malindi District.

How you can help - bringing out any learning aids or unwanted toys. Guests have even collected hearing aids. You can also help financially to improve learning conditions or sponsoring a child. See community office for details or www.kupenda.org

Watamu Turtle Watch

Turtle Bay is a nesting site for three species of turtle, all of which are endangered. To conserve these wonderful creatures Turtle Bay Beach Club is helping local conservation organisation Watamu Turtle Watch, who undertake education, research, community development and practical conservation to protect turtles.

How you can help - you can sponsor a turtle or a nest at Turtle Bay through the community office. Also watch out for nest hatchings and turtle releases. These will be announced around the pool area whenever they occur.

How you can help - you can sponsor a turtle or a nest at Turtle Bay through the community office. Also watch out for nest hatchings and turtle releases. These will be announced around the pool area whenever they occur.

Timboni Community Clinic

Some Turtle Bay guests have been funding the construction of a community clinic in the nearby village of Timboni. The project is nearly complete and the committee would be very grateful for any donations of unused medicines that you may have left over from your stay.

Mzizima Primary School

Mzizima Primary School near Mida, on the Mombasa Road has been supported by Turtle Bay guests who have built four classrooms and an office.

The school is in the process of being registered as a government school, so that they can offer free education to the local children. However only one teacher will be supplied this year, so any donations to contribute to the teachers salaries would be gratefully accepted. The teachers are currently totally unpaid.

Paperchase Trust

Turtle Bay is working in conjunction with Paperchase Trust to help with health and education issues. They support the Kirepwe Island Community in Mida Creek, Malindi District Health Department and Dongokundu Primary School. They also set up an Ambulance for Watamu and a Mobile Clinic. For more information about how you can help see www.thepaperchasetrust.org.uk Judy and Tony Bell who run Paperchase Trust often visit the hotel, so please ask at Discovery if they are around the hotel if you would like to meet them in person.