Greetings from Chief Lobulo.

For many years, every single Overseas Adventure Traveler would have met Chief Lobulo, Local Maasai Chief in the area of Tarangire. Now with changes to the itinerary, only a few travelers cross paths with this amazing Chief.

I met Chief Lobulo 9 years ago and have remained firm friends with him since.

Chief Lobulo has been Grand Circle Foundations’ biggest supporter and advocate of all projects. His only wish is it benefits his community.

He has been by our side in EVERY project GCF has ever done in the Tarangire area from kitchen, toilet and class room builds and delivering books, admin supplies, to receiving bikes and solar systems.  He’s been there receiving, welcoming and educating as many OAT travelers as possible. As a leader there are no days off.

There is always something to do, someone to comfort, an issue to resolve, a conflict to decide on. But always…. that smile,,,.that famous Lobulo smile is there

I reached out to him during the COVID-19 pandemic to find out how his community were faring.

The first thing he wanted to know was how were Alan and Harriet and their family and how were the travelers living in the US faring.

He then went on to say they were all safe and had lost no one to the virus. In fact, he said, mortality was the lowest he has ever known.

It’s been very wet in the region and as a result they lost an awful lot of goats that got a foot rot. This has led to them having less available money.

There has not been a single tourist for 10 or more weeks and so this too has led to less cash being available.

But he was optimistic. The kids were home. They had their health and in his words…. “We can’t live the life like before”.

Stay Safe everyone. When you are ready to travel, Chief Lobulo assures you he will do his best to greet you all even if it’s a quick wave at the side of the road.

He wishes you well.