TORONTO — In celebration of Pride Month, African Travel, Inc. (ATI) has announced its support for Rainbow Railroad (RR), which has been their TreadRight(TR) Foundation project partner for the past several years.
Rainbow Railroad is a global not-for-profit organization that facilitates safe relocation for at-risk LGBTQI+ individuals from countries where they face persecution.
LGBTQIA+ Flag
For every client booking made in the month of June, ATI will donate $50 towards RR’s initiatives, offering various forms of assistance, including crisis response, cash assistance and emergency relocation.
Based in Canada and the U.S., the organization has assisted over 13,000 LGBTQI+ individuals from more than 65 countries find safety since its founding in 2006. This includes South Africa, one of the world’s most progressive nations.
President of African Travel, Inc., Sherwin Banda, says ATI and their not-for-profit foundation, TreadRight, and Rainbow Railroad all share their commitment to inclusion, diversity, accessibility and equity. This project supports ATI’s sustainability goals, developed to align with the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also supports SDG 10: ‘Reduce Inequalities within and among countries’ by aiding several thousands of LGBTQI+ people each year.
“This year’s Pride Month’s theme is ‘reflect, empower and unite’. As a member of the LGBTQ+ African community and a proud South African, I understand the struggles of identity in a continent that must strive to be more inclusive. It’s crucial to provide pathways to liberation and hope for a more equitable future for those who feel marginalized,” says Banda. “Travel can facilitate this by supporting local communities in Africa. We are fully committed to our TreadRight partner, Rainbow Railroad, which provides essential support for LGBTQI+ refugees in South Africa which is a country willing to grant refugee status based on gender identity and sexual orientation.”
Sherwin Banda with his husband and son at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve in South Africa
In 2021, African Travel, Inc. launched its personalized journeys for the LGBTQ+ community. ATI created immersive safari experiences to meet the different needs of various LGBTQ+ guests. The company’s Pride Guide offers essential travel tips that are available for travel advisors to share with clients.
Each safari journey features wildlife encounters and cultural experiences, customized by a dedicated safari team, including LGBTQ+ members, to cater to each individual guest. ATI’s team has personally vetted lodges and camps which focus on inclusion and sensitivity, along with their impactful MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experiences which are included in every itinerary.
“Rainbow Railroad is grateful to be the beneficiary of proceeds from African Travel, Inc. bookings during Pride month,” said Scott Ferguson, Director of Partnerships at Rainbow Railroad. “In 2022, 42% of all requests for help we received came from LGBTQI+ people living in African countries and for many who we were able to support, South Africa has become a welcoming home where they can live openly and authentically. Thanks to this support from ATI and our ongoing partnership with the TreadRight Foundation, we will help more at-risk LGBTQI+ in 2024 than ever before in our history.”
