Maruku Paradise Beach - View from our Saturday Tourism School
Maruku Paradise Beach, Lake Victoria, Kagera, Tanzania
SATURDAY TOURISM SCHOOL
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
The Saturday Tourism School is the initiative and brainchild of Mary Kalikawe. Its objective is to assist and inspire the local community to find work or retrain in the valuable tourism sector as the world emerges from the devastating covid pandemic.
The program was launched in March 2021 and is run from Kiroyera Tours lakeside venue on Maruku Paradise Beach.
Mary is a pioneer in the development of tourism within Kagera (Kiroyera Tours) and is the founder of the annual national domestic tourism expo UWANDAE!. She is the chairperson of the Association of Women in Tourism Tanzania (AWOTTA), the Ambassador for Tanzania on the African Tourism Board, and regularly lectures on the industry at influential educational institutions.
Mary welcomes participants of all ages and backgrounds to her Saturday Tourism School and Kids Club. No prior knowledge or experience is needed, only a desire to learn and make new friends!
SATURDAY TOURISM SCHOOL PROGRAM
One-day classes are scheduled throughout the year covering the theory and practice of tourism. Our key focus is on creating a deeper understanding of the tourism industry and finding self-employment opportunities in its supply chain. This includes work within transportation, hospitality, business fashion attire, shopping/handicrafts, guiding (wildlife, nature, city tours), culture and domestic tourism. We also explore opportunities for self-development and personal growth when working within the tourism sector.
Lead Trainer: Mary Kalikawe
Mary runs Kiroyera Tours, a pioneering tour company based in Bukoba (launched 2001). She is a highly respected career professional and an expert in the sustainable and environmental tourism sector.
TSH 15,000/- per person
The price includes:
Private Transport to/from Bukoba town (26km)
Training Documents & Certificate
Refreshments/Lunch/Beach activities
Sponsorship Required
If you would like to support a Saturday School class please donate TSH 15,000/- or USD$10.00 for a student to attend. Your contribution will help make a difference for their future. Thank you.
Contact Mary via phone /text:+255 75 9424933.
TOURISM SCHOOL GALLERY
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WAS INVOLVED IN OUR
‘YOUTH TOURISM TRAINING DAY’
Young people are the future of our country and unemployment is a growing problem. This training day was designed to teach youths how to recognise and pursue work opportunities in Tanzania’s important tourism sector. Read more.
Thank you to those who sponsored students.
Training Day Memories
The Youth Training Day was a great success for everyone involved! Ms Mary Kalikawe (Lead Trainer & Tour Company Director) and Mr Robert Washa (ELCT Tours & Tourism Teacher) shared their extensive knowledge and led discussions on topics of interest to the class. They were joined by Mr Eric and Ms Salma from CRDB Bank who spoke about opportunities in raising capital for new small business owners. Students got involved in the running of the day, taking on the roles of chairperson and timekeeper to show the importance of working together to achieve success.
All the young men and women who attended the day said that the training revealed many things they did not know about working in the tourism sector, giving them new ideas and confidence to find employment. They embraced the open, relaxed group sessions and were very creative (and funny!) in role-plays designed to show their understanding of what they had learnt. The students expressed a desire to come back for extra training and reach out to more budding entrepreneurs as they had been so inspired by the day.
Violet was our expert timekeeper and works as a hairdresser. She came along to learn about how she could develop her hairdressing skills and move into a room of her own (she currently shares a space) to offer services to the different nationalities that visit Bukoba – Europeans, Chinese and Indians.
Violet was an inspiration to the class and a star pupil. Despite her disabilities, she showed us all that if you work hard you can achieve your dreams.
KIDS CLUB!
We are proud to host groups of local children at our Kids Club for a day of creative play, fun and laughter!
“The best day ever!” (Ummul Yatym Orphan Childrens Home)
Our Kids Club is designed with creative play in mind!
Creative play experiences are very beneficial in a child’s early development helping them to develop emotionally, physically and socially. However, they are not traditional in Tanzania. Most children’s days are filled with school, work and sleep. We are aiming to break that cycle for the children of Bukoba.
Our Kids Club activities include storytelling, face painting, singing, dancing, sports, playground games and building beautiful sandcastles!
Parents, guardians and teachers tell us that time spent with us has had a positive impact on their children’s behaviour and mindset. Whilst the children themselves tell us they have had “the best time ever!”
Sponsorship Request
We are always looking for sponsors to help fund the disadvantaged children and orphans who we host at our Kids Club. Just 15,000/- (USD$10.00) will pay for one child to have this life-changing experience. The price includes: transport, lunch, refreshments, and supervised activities in a safe and secure environment.
Please contact us at info@marukuparadisebeach.com if you can help us make a difference in a child’s life. Thank you.
KIDS CLUB IN THE NEWS!
Special Events
Our venue hosts a range of special events for the Bukoba and Kagera Region including:
WHAT CLIMATE CHANGE MEANS FOR THE KAGERA REGION: IMPACT & SOLUTIONS
An event held in response to COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Summit .
Kwa mawasiliano na kujiajiri piga au tuma ujumbe/For more information
contact/text:+255 75 9424933
This event will be carbon neutral
Venue Accommodation
We offer students, guests and visitors to our beach venue the opportunity to stay with us and enjoy the beauty of the iconic Lake Victoria. Watching the spectacular sunrise and sunsets over the lake are moments to cherish!
We can accommodate guests in a traditional banda style hut or on our campsite. Food and drink can be purchased from the bar and restaurant. For more details please visit our Kiroyera Tours website.
TRADITIONAL HUT STAY
Our impressive traditional grass and reed house can converted into a large bedroom when booked in advance (price on application).
BEACH CAMPING
Our campsite is open daily and is charged at USD$8.00 per person per day plus $1.50 Government bed levy per night. Vehicle charges are USD$8.00 per vehicle per night
Maruku Paradise Beach Facilities
Facilities at Maruku Paradise Beach and our venue include a campsite/accommodation, children’s playground, relaxing lake-facing terrace, entertainment spaces with local food and drinks available for purchase. The ‘Safari Blue’ bar is named in honour of the fishermen that have plied Lake Victoria waters for centuries.
Sunbathing, swimming, beach volleyball and bird watching are some of the activities enjoyed by visitors to the beach. There are also a number of exciting walking trails to take along the lakeshore and into the traditional villages where you can meet the friendly people of Maruku!