Women-led ‘safari’ programme helps combat workplace stress

There is something magical about stepping away from the everyday norm and getting in a safari truck or dipping your feet in the white sand beaches that seems to take away the stress and rejuvenate one’s body and soul.

Tourism is a billion-dollar business as earthlings keep seeking their time away from their office desks.

As crucial as the holiday is to an employee, a group of four young Tanzanian women has discovered that vacation is not only a time to relax and enjoy but a great way to strengthen one’s mental health, pleading a case for employers to not only allow their employees to go on safari but also foot the bill on behalf of their staff.

A group of four girls; Anne Babirye, Evelyne Saitoti, Anna Kimambo, and Waida Msangi, united under the programme for Women Entrepreneurs for Africa, initiated by a German corporation (GIZ), that aims to amplify women’s voices in business. They consolidated their efforts to launch what they call African Jungles, which caters to tourists on a budget.

“Not all people have millions at their disposal for a safari, so we target those who want to go on safari but have a small budget,” Ann said.

Their current drive is to persuade bosses in the corporate world to take their employees on a safari, as it will not only boost office morale but also be good for their mental health.

The idea was formed when Ms Babirye was listening to a radio programme that was discussing research done on mental health in Tanzania that found an alarming rate of mental health issues at workplaces. “The challenge is that in Tanzania, people don’t talk about it; it’s embarrassing to do so,” Anne said. “Most people do open up when it’s at the end of the cliff, when it’s too late,” she added.

With that in mind, the four ladies came up with an initiative to create awareness aimed at demystifying mental health but introducing vacation as one of the remedies that will guarantee improved mental health for the employees and better productivity for the benefit of the employers.

“When people relax, their mental health will be better,” she added. “Some employees have only two weeks out of the whole year for vacation,” she observed.

Most employees would just spend those two weeks at home and not leave their familiar surroundings, thus not providing the body and mind with a new, refreshing environment to refresh.

So the ladies are proposing that the top management in the corporate world pay for their employees to go on safari for at least a week, all expenses paid by the office, arguing that, in the long run, it will be beneficial for the company.

The trip targeting Dar es Salaam dwellers will see the employees driven from Dar to Arusha and spend a night in a hotel; the next day they start their safari; and the first day will be spent drying around national parks but sleeping in a camping site as a group.

“With them being in a group, they can do team-building activities and improve communication among workmates,” she said.

Team activities tend to create and build a stronger bond or settle squabbles that might have arisen at the workplace, and doing so while on safari can prove to be easier and more enjoyable.

Their current focus is to have their work retreats in Serengeti, with the possibility of adding other national parks along the way. For the four-day trips, the employees can also visit Ngorongoro National Park, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire.

“Towards the end of the trip, we aim to go for a day in Moshi for more team-building activities; they will be going to the hot springs for a swim, hiking on Mt Kilimanjaro or going to the waterfalls, whichever they prefer,” Ann said.

After that, it’s a trip back to the concrete jungles of Dar es Salaam. To minimise the costs of safaris, they opt for budget safaris, where they will sleep in hotels in Arusha and in comfortable tents while in the national parks.

As the subject of mental health is receiving more limelight and discussion in Tanzania, organisations that deal with it are cropping up, and the ladies have reached out to their organisations with expertise, who would partner with them so that they can reach out to the workers in the corporate world, make psychologists more accessible to employees even after they are done with their safari, Evelyn Saitoti, one of the four ladies in this group, is a certified counsellor with four years of experience, “so it’s easier for us to get employees to unload the stress that comes from ork.” Everine said, “The moment you speak about it, you have halfway solved it.”

She added: “With an opportunity to speak about what one is going through, an employee can go back to work with a better attitude and the weight of stress, worries, and anger unloaded.”

The ladies have already knocked on the doors of some of the biggest corporations in Dar es Salaam and introduced the idea.

They hope not only the private sector will see the need for employee group safaris but also government sectors and even small-scale organisations, for employees’ mental health is vital for productivity and growth.

“We are still seeking partnerships and funders to see this initiative through; we are expecting funding from GIZ, but if that doesn’t come on time, we are still committed to the success of this initiative,” said Ann Babirye.

With a large group of employees going together on safari, the obvious concern is how one satisfies everyone’s need and desire for a safari experience.

“We always say that the bigger the group, the lesser the expense, and the more flexible we get, we can always meet their needs and arrange for different activities,” Ann said.

Though the topic of the expenses being paid by the employer for the employees’ safari can seem extravagant, it is viable. The mental well-being of an employee can have a great impact on the productivity of a company.

“Trust me, I have been employed in a place where I was constantly exhausted, and sometimes I would lock myself in the restroom just to take a break. It was draining and frustrating,” Ann remembers.

“I had to find a place to calm down; that won’t happen in a workplace that is stress-free, and employees can make better use of their time,” she emphasised.