Restoring our Earth
You don’t live on Earth, you are passing through – Rumi
As we commemorate Earth Month in April, we continue to focus on and re-evaluate the importance of being conservation custodians of the places in which we operate. To advocate for behaviour change, to preserve our natural habitats and environments, working alongside local communities to make meaningful, positive and sustainable change.
Planet vs Plastics is the theme of Earth Month in 2024 and, at Mantis, we support the call to reduce global plastic production by 60% by 2040. In 2022, we took a bold step in our sustainability journey by sourcing alternatives to guest facing, single-use plastic, alongside ramping up our internal reduce, re-use and recycle programmes.
As passionate conservationists, sustainability comes naturally to us. We care about our environment, the natural world, wildlife and the communities who live around our properties. Our aim is to offer travel experiences and luxury hospitality that showcase the beauty and diversity of Africa – but never at the expensive of our planet. The future depends on how we behave towards each other and how we treat the fauna, flora and people that share our world with us.
From banana leaf slippers, handmade soaps to coffee growing and training, Mantis is not just paying lip service to sustainable travel. So, during Earth Month we put a spotlight on three projects in Rwanda. These highlight the true spirit of collaboration, enterprise and sustainability… without compromise.
The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that
Someone else will save it – Robert Swan
The team at Mantis is taking huge strides towards ‘fashionable’ sustainability with the introduction of their slipper project. Crafted entirely from dried banana leaves, the slippers are 100% eco-friendly and champion a plastic-free world.
The unique design, comfort and meaningful story behind each pair, make them more than a guest gift – they are a symbol of responsible luxury.
These innovative and stylish slippers were designed in collaboration with Jean (John) Claude Habihirwe of the Hirwa Children’s Foundation. Located outside the Akagera National Park the Hirwa Children’s Foundation was founded by John to empower children from vulnerable families through education. The school, which opened in November 2019 with one classroom, 15 students and a single teacher, has since grown and now teaches more than 200 students, employing four teachers supported by volunteers.
The weaving of these slippers from banana leaves is a much needed source of employment and income for village community members. Many are parents of the children at the school.
The slippers are available at each of the Mantis properties in Rwanda: Mantis Epic Hotel, Akagera Game Lodge, Kivu Marina Bay Hotel and the Kivu Queen uBuranga.
Guests are encouraged to take their slippers home or purchase a pair … it’s a small step that has an enormous impact. It not only supports the local community but helps reduce plastic waste from littering the country, waterways or going into landfills.
The sun does not forget a village just because it is small – African proverb
Luxurious, natural handmade soaps come standard at Mantis properties in Rwanda. These are all made, to order, at Kandaka* Naturals – one of the first established natural body-care brands in the country.
*Kandaka (noun): A strong empowered woman who is an inspiration; a warrior queen.
Kandaka Naturals is 100% made-in-Rwanda and, by us using their products, we directly benefit local women by creating employment.
Ingredients are carefully chosen and, being 100% natural, can be used by people with sensitive skin and skin allergies. The brand also uses zero-waste packaging and follows strict recycling principles.
A range of Kandaka products is available to purchase, these include natural soaps such as Amanirenas of Nubia infused with charcoal and rosemary, Asantewaa of Ashanti with a blend of coffee, turmeric and lemongrass, Ranavalona of Madagascar with red clay and geranium and Gicanda of Rwanda which features green clay and lemongrass.
Kandaka Naturals redirects 30% of its profits into sponsoring reusable sanitary pads for schoolgirls in an effort to end period poverty in Rwanda.
We can’t save the planet without uplifting the voices of its people,
especially those most often unheard – Leah Thomas
Coffee aficionados will, without question, enjoy the local ‘Mantis blend’ brewed and served by highly trained baristas when visiting one of our properties in the ‘land of a thousand hills’. It is sourced and supplied by Question Coffee™, a women-grown specialty coffee producer.
By supporting Question Coffeeâ„¢, we are investing in women farmers who produce high quality products, helping increase their personal economic independence and supporting their extended families.
The story in question started back in 2013 when Bloomberg Philanthropies began investing in the innovative training of coffee farmers and producers, bringing smallholder farmers up through the coffee value chain. These long-term investments led to a partnership with Sustainable Growers, home of Question Coffee Cafe & Roastery, a social enterprise and Coffee Training Academy.
Question Coffeeâ„¢ provides international Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) coffee skills programmes – such as barista and brewing – to students and professionals in hospitality and tourism sectors. These courses aim at increasing the value of Rwanda’s domestic coffee market.
Besides drinking this delicious blend, you can book a ‘seed to cup’ tour to meet the women behind your favourite cuppa.
In nature’s economy the currency is not money, it is life – Vandana Shiva
We are acutely aware of the impact of our footprint on every living thing in and around our destinations. Our common purpose is to preserve and protect our environment, the natural world, wildlife and local communities.
During Earth Month – and beyond – we encourage you to join us in making a difference. Together let’s re-evaluate our plastic choices and commit to recycling. Let’s embrace a planet-positive future and leave a legacy of beauty and life for generations to come.
 The ultimate test of a man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard – Gaylord Nelson
