Vipingo Ridge is founded on the promise to enrich the lives of local surrounding communities and leads the industry in both social and environmental responsibility.

Through sustainable partnerships, projects and more, Vipingo Ridge works hard to ensure this development is beneficial to all. Vipingo Ridge provides free firewood, palm fronds and fruits from the estate to the local communities as well as other monetary and in-kind donations as part of the brand’s promise for social responsibility. We also engage in a number of activities to generate jobs and income for the community.

In this blog we take a look at some of the diverse community initiatives and conservation work and their impact during 2023. They are summarised in the gallery below:

Community Development

The Chodari Causeway

One of the main challenges faced by the local communities surrounding Vipingo Ridge was accessibility to vital social amenities including hospitals, markets and schools among others. Since the Mikaoni-Pingilikani road was to be closed, Vipingo Ridge engaged the community to brainstorm on alternatives to ensure the communities and a proposal for the causeway was reached.

From March 2022 to March 2023 Vipingo Ridge took much time, expertise and funds to ensure the causeway was built to the right standards and is in the process of engaging relevant County departments to construct roads on both ends from the causeway to the 2 villages Chodari and Mikaoni once approved by the relevant government departments.

This will go a long way in ensuring safe delivery for mothers due to increased accessibility to the Vipingo Health Center and reduced time travelled to access health services, schools and other social amenities.

As a result of raising the spillway from the Southern end of Chodari dam to Northern end Vipingo Ridge successfully raised the potential (subject to rainfall) volume of water being dammed outside of the estate by approximately 2,700 cubic meters.

Proposed Chodari Dispensary

Vipingo Ridge has committed to contribute towards community health through a proposal to construct a dispensary in Chodari Village. This was achieved by engaging the community members, leaders, local administration and local health workers in the area.

According to the community, the dispensary in Chodari would also serve other neighboring villages, allow for timely treatment and reduce potential mortalities that would have occurred if the dispensary was not available. The community donated land for the construction of the dispensary and the County department of health is currently reviewing the plan for the construction to start early in 2024.

Chodari Road Upgrade

Vipingo Ridge repaired a section of the Chodari Road just a few metres from the Pingilikani gate uphill by building it up with murram. This has improved accessibility by both pedestrians and motor vehicles especially during the rainy season from October to December.

Donations

Linen items
In April 2023 Vipingo Ridge donated a total of 336 linen including mattress foams and protectors, bedsheets, bath towels, hand towels, pillow foams, cushions and cushion covers.

Food Items

Donation of food to the community

We donate food items to the communities on need basis and in difficult times to help cushion them from adverse effects of climate change and high cost of living. 51 villagers from 4 villages; Mikaoni, Chodari A, Chodari B and Pingilikani benefitted from mangoes and Vitoria fruits from the Vipingo Ridge estate following a high yield during the fruits season. We, through the local administration, initiated a program to allow the surrounding communities to harvest the mangoes for consumption and for sale for income.

A total of 96kg (4 bales) of maize flour were donated to 104 vulnerable houses from 7 villages in Junju namely: Dafur, Shariani, Lutsangani, Dzihoshe, Timboni, Kuruwitu A & Kuruwitu B through Imarisha Jamii, a local CBO in Junju Ward. We also donated a total of 135ltrs of recyclable cooking oil to the local elders of Vipingo, Kapecha, Chodari, Pingilikani, Mikaoni, Shariani, Kolewa and Junju villages.

Donation of food to Schools

Vipingo Ridge through the office of the MCA Junju in October 2023 supported 7 schools namely; Vipingo, Vipingo Central, Gongoni, Kolewa, Chodari, Kapecha and Shariani Primary Schools to complement their feeding program for boarding candidates sitting for their KCPE and KPSEA exams. A total of 240kgs of maize flour were distributed based on population of each school.

Firewood Support

Donation of firewood to the community

The traditional three-stone stove is the most common technology used in the rural areas. The value added on wood energy at the village level is retained locally, helping to reduce poverty, unlike fossil fuels which have to be imported and ae usually too expensive for most of them to afford.

During the year, a total of 635 villagers from 11 villages benefitted from 60 tippers, 10 tractors and 21 pick-up loads of wood fuel and palm fonds which is their primary source of energy for cooking and lighting. Most of this fuel was for daily domestic use, for funeral and wedding ceremonies.

Donation of firewood to schools

The acquisition of fuel, whether it is purchased or collected, is a considerable burden for schools that risks impacting school performance or attendance. In her efforts to mitigate this risk, Vipingo Ridge donated 1 pick-up load of firewood to Vipingo Central Primary School and Pingilikani Primary School on October 2023 to support the school feeding program for boarding grade 6 and 8 candidates yet to sit for their national exams.

The main goal of thisintervention was to ensure the consistent preparation of meals easing the burden of parents having to ferry firewood from their homesteads, when the firewood itself is already a scarce resource in the community.

Donation of furniture

Vipingo Ridge donated a total of 6 benches; 3 to Mtwapa Police Station and 3 to Mtwapa Level 4 Hospital in October 2023. Additional seating for Kijipwa Police Station and the area Chief’s office in Shariani in November 2023.

The main aim of this intervention was to provide them with professional tools to deliver community services more efficiently. The donations will go a long way in reducing traffic at the waiting bays of the facilities, drive efficient and more humane service delivery for the Kilifi South community and help them save on costs and focus their resources on other priority needs.

It also strengthens the collaborations Vipingo Ridge has with partners and promotes a positive brand image for Vipingo Ridge as a socially responsible company.

Events

Community involvement and engagement are key to the success of any event, whether high profile or low key since it brings the local community together. Vipingo Ridge engages the local community in various ways during events and this enhances wider economic benefits to ripple through the area: from retailers and restaurants to local cultural venues which enjoy an uptake in visitors and can even result in additional local jobs, especially if the event is large and well-known enough.

Magical Kenya Ladies European Tour February 2023

Vipingo Ridge on the last day of the Ladies European Tour tournament invited 19 members of the surrounding communities including chiefs, village elders, community members and headteachers of the local schools to watch the tournament and enjoy a tour of the golf course. They were also treated to a luncheon at the village and transported back home at the end of the tournament. This was an opportunity for them to appreciate the international events taking place within their community.

Green Olives Children’s Day Out and Cinema April 2023

Vipingo Ridge extends its gestures to other vulnerable societies within Kilifi South sub-county and in partnership with Nyali Cinemax, Leta Franchise Ltd, Terra Model Management and Coast Afro Latin organized a cinema trip for a movie watch along at the Nyali Cinemax and afterwards a luncheon and fun day the Green Olives Children Home in Mtwapa.

Vipingo Ridge covered the transport costs by providing the Vipingo Ridge bus to ferry the children from Mtwapa to Nyali and back.

Moto-X July 2023

8 schools namely Vipingo, Vipingo central, Gongoni, Chodari, Pingilikani, Kapecha, Timboni and Shariani Primary Schools were also invited as spectators to watch and enjoy the competitions. The children were excited and were the loudest spectators who made the event more fun. This was an opportunity for an exhilarating and unforgettable experience.

Vipingo Ridge also provided lunch and transport to ferry the 200 children and 16 teachers from their school to the event and back which was a gesture the schools appreciated and really looked forward to being involved in more events.

Royal Visit to Kuruwitu Marine Reserve November 2023

As part of the Royal Tour to Kenya in November Kuruwitu was selected as one of the venues for King Charles III to highlight conservation and successful community-led projects. Vipingo Ridge Beach Club is the headquarters for our partner Oceans Alive and the Kuruwitu Community Business Organisation (CBO) Kuruwitu Conservation and Welfare Association (KCWA).

We worked closely with our partners as the venue for the King to learn about coral habitat restoration, sustainable permaculture gardening as well as meet Kilifi community leaders and village elders.

East African Classic Safari Rally December 2023

Vipingo Ridge invited various leaders from the county government as well as from the local administration including the Assistant County Commissioner, Sub- County ward administrator, chief, assistant chiefs and village elders. 52 pupils and 2 teachers from Vipingo Central Primary School were also invited as spectators to watch and enjoy the event.

Also invited were the Dele Dancers from Pingilikani village to entertain the spectators and guests at the spectator park with traditional music and dance. This was also an opportunity to market the group and promote cultural tourism through their dance. The event also provided an opportunity for the dancers to direct income they earned to their families.

Future Hope School Day December 2023

As part of the Vipingo Ridge Festive program, partners Future Hope School, located in Vipingo Village, educating 140 HIV affected & destitute children, engaged in four events at Vipingo Ridge, highlighting their work to Vipingo Ridge members and the community. Students performed a play at the Vipingo Ridge Beach Club and Vipingo Ridge provided transport and a special lunch for the students and teachers at the Beach Club.

In the evening a second group of students were transported to Vipingo Ridge for a special dinner before they led our homeowners and visitors in a moving carol service. The students have learning opportunities in the preparation, a chance to show their performance skills and have new experiences and finish the school year.

Community Support

Support for Community Health March 2023

Vipingo Ridge provided a vehicle to Pingilikani dispensary in March 2023 to assist in ferrying 14 patients within Junju location from Pingilikani dispensary to Kilifi Hospital scheduled for cataract surgeries. This demonstrates Vipingo Ridge’s commitment to contribute to better health care for the local communities.

Hire of Bus for School Music Festivals July 2023

Vipingo Ridge hired a bus to transport Vipingo Central Primary School children to perform at the Kenya Regional Musical Festivals at Mvindenyi Social Hall Kwale County. This enhanced the pupil’s morale and enabled them to reach the venue in good time to prepare for their performance. This boosted their performance and enabled them to compete well and be shortlisted for the national competitions in Nyeri.

Support for community sensitization

Vipingo Ridge provided transport to ferry the Assistant County Commissioner, Area Chief and Assistant Chief to conduct a community baraza in Chodari. This was the first baraza after the ministry of health banned community gatherings due to Covid-19.

We support and take part in community barazas to help create awareness, sensitize and respond to issues affecting the local communities, share vital information, provide community with the opportunity to identify and propose solutions to concerns, to disseminate information and to collect feedback on critical issues affecting the community.

Conservation

The Vipingo Ridge dedication to rewilding and conservations is well documented. From our endangered species breeding programme to the work to rewild the Vipingo Sisal estate, at Vipingo Ridge we also work closely with our partners to promote wider habitat restoration, promote education and awareness of challenges and actions that can be taken in the community. We also use our platforms to raise global awareness to support our partners.

Winning Space for Wildlife

In October 2023 we marked three years since the re-introduction, a return home if you like, of a number of Kenya native species. We have a dedicated blog: Bringing wildlife home to Vipingo Ridge: 3 years on explaining more about the journey to becoming a Wildlife Sanctuary and the introduction of the animals. As we reflect on the year 2023, we are proud to have made significant strides in our conservation journey. We achieved several milestones and celebrated some remarkable wins.

• We collaborated with our partner Reteti Elephants Sanctuary to organize the Run for Wildlife event. During the event, participants ran to raise awareness of the importance of conserving wildlife and the environment.

• Another significant win for us was the thriving and healthy wildlife population in our ‘Winning Space for Wildlife’ area. We recorded a record 46 births in 2023, which is a testament to the effectiveness of our conservation efforts.

• We had the honor of joining the rest of the African leaders during the inaugural African Climate Summit in Nairobi. This summit brought together leaders from across the continent to discuss ways of mitigating the effects of climate change and promoting sustainable development.

• Finally, we also participated in a tree-planting exercise in line with the government directive. This exercise was aimed at restoring degraded forests and conserving the environment.

We are proud of the progress we have made in our conservation journey in 2023. We remain committed to our mission of conserving wildlife and promoting sustainable development.

Marine Conservation

For almost 20 years Vipingo Ridge has worked closely with marine conservation pioneers Oceans Alive Trust and the Kuruwitu CBO (Community Business Organisation). In 2023 we witnessed the dedication and work of this partner recognised globally by a visit from King Charles III Supporting our Kuruwitu partners and the Kenya Royal Tour to our Vipingo Ridge Beach Club in Kuruwitu.

• The Oceans Alive Trust offices and visitor centre are located at the Vipingo Ridge Beach Club. In 2023 works included a number of office upgrades, renovation of the driveway access and a new access through the permaculture gardens.

• Refocus on the Coral Workshop area at the beach visitor area including new fencing.

• Ongoing support of the Kuruwitu CBO with the community run shop facility at the beach, selling locally sourced goods to Vipingo Ridge Beach Club guests.

• Supporting the security and protection of the marine protected area working directly with Kuruwitu Community Marine Conservation Project KCOMACP.

• Marketing awareness of the projects through our new website content, social media and database platforms.

Conservation Education Program

The Vipingo Ridge CSR department liaises with the Wildlife department through the Vipingo Ridge Wildlife Conservation Education Program to engage local schools to take part in conservation of wildlife.

This is achieved through inviting schools to visit the wildlife sanctuary for guided game drives and walks where rangers and the wildlife team educate them on wildlife and environmental conservation. The program aims at empowering and imparting knowledge on young people to protect wildlife from extinction to achieve the goal of sustainable development.

This year has seen the program start up with 3 schools; Kivukoni in March, Sparki Primary School in July and Mikaoni Nursery School in November 2023.

Over 100 children had the opportunity to experience the beauty of wildlife, interact with our conservation team, and learn valuable lessons on the importance of wildlife and environmental conservation. We strongly believe that educating children about conservation is crucial for a sustainable future.

Our commitment to Community Engagement

Community engagement helps to build relationships with community stakeholders to achieve sustainable dialogue and discourse so that all parties feel respected, empowered, and informed. Vipingo Ridge through the CSR department builds relationships with the local community, local administration and other stakeholders working in the area to meet the evolving needs of the community while at the same time promoting a positive brand for the company.

This has helped to maintain good relations with the community and has seen at least 85% of the Vipingo Ridge employees both on permanent, contract and casual basis come from these communities.

Vipingo Ridge engages the communities by conducting needs analysis through community barazas, meetings and open forums where the community raise their concerns individually or through their leaders. We then engage the relevant community leaders and channels to carry out any interventions to enhance compliance and ensure positive outcomes.