UN Tourism and TUI Care Foundation empower African artisans and artists

The awarded projects at a glance

Voices and Colors of Gorongosa
Organization: Associação dos Deficientes Moçambicanos (ADEMO)
Country: Mozambique

This project aims to increase artisan income in communities around Gorongosa National Park, with a strong focus on empowering people with disabilities through improved product development and market access. The initiative will develop locally certified artisanal products that highlight local culture, expand market opportunities through tourism partnerships, and create a collaborative network linking artisans, tour guides, and sustainable tourism stakeholders. Up to 110 people will benefit, with women representing more than 60% of participants.

Traditions in Bwabwata National Park
Organization: Namibia Development Foundation Trust
Country: Namibia

Rooted in the indigenous Khwe community, this project seeks to revive traditional arts by providing training in product development and cultural storytelling. A cultural center for artisans will be supported within Bwabwata National Park. The initiative will directly support 50 Khwe artisans, strengthening their skills, visibility, and access to sustainable tourism value chains.

Creative Tourism and Employment for Artists in Musanze
Organization: Red Rocks Initiative for Sustainable Development
Country: Rwanda

This project focuses on two cooperatives of women and youth artisans in Nkotsi and Bisate villages in Musanze District. It will diversify income opportunities through hands-on training in visual arts, entrepreneurship, and storytelling. The program aims to enhance Musanze’s creative tourism appeal while helping communities access tourism markets. Up to 100 women and young people are expected to benefit.

Enhancing Rural Tourism Capacity in Busaga
Organization: Nature Rwanda
Country: Rwanda

This initiative aims to protect the ecologically rich Busaga Forest while transforming it into a tourism destination led by women and youth. By developing guided forest experiences and integrating locally made handicrafts, the project will promote biodiversity conservation, community-based tourism, and diversified rural livelihoods. It will directly support 30 community members, most of them women.

Maasai Cultural Programme in Kiteto
Organization: KINNAPA Development Programme
Country: Tanzania

Focused on cultural preservation, this project will establish a community-run training program for women and young people in arts, crafts, and tourism services. The initiative aims to turn cultural heritage into economic opportunity in Kiteto District. Fifty people—60% of them women—will receive training in crafts, tourism services, and cultural entrepreneurship.