Why We’re Changing the Way MOYO Works
- MOYO Training
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
At MOYO, we try to operate in one way only: with honesty, authenticity and integrity.Not as ideals on paper, but as values we return to when decisions get hard.
And they do get hard.
From the very beginning, MOYO was created with a simple intention: to give back to nature by supporting the people working in tourism through meaningful Nature Positive training programmes. We wanted to help shape a different way of travelling - Â one that respects ecosystems, supports local communities, and recognises that nature is not something we consume, but something we are part of.
What we didn’t fully anticipate was how difficult it would be to fund that vision in an accessible way.
To keep the training programs running, prices had to be higher than we wanted them to be. And that meant that many of the people we most hoped to reach - nature guides, new entrepreneurs, people with deep care for nature but limited financial space - often couldn’t afford to join. That tension has stayed with us, and it pushed us to rethink how we work.
So this year, we’re changing our approach.
Our new initiative - MOYO Nature Travel - will operate under the foundation, allowing us to offer Nature Positive travel experiences alongside our training work. We’ve invested in becoming a fully registered tour operator - with the systems, structures and transparency that come with it - not to grow fast or big, but to build something solid, ethical and values-led.
Through MOYO Nature Travel, we will offer ethical wildlife watching and immersive nature experiences in a variety of areas. These journeys are designed for solo travellers, couples, friends and families - for people who want to travel independently, or who prefer to explore with a small group guided by one of our trusted local partners in the field. These are people we know personally, who share our values and who work with deep respect for the communities, landscapes and wildlife they call home.
Every experience is designed to minimise impact, maximise learning, and give something back. A percentage of the profits goes directly into funding future Nature Positive Tourism trainings, including subsidised places for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them.
Alongside this, we will also offer nature retreats.
Where the travel experiences are about exploration and learning through place, the nature retreats are more intimate and personal. They take place in small groups and are facilitated by the MOYO team. These are spaces to slow down, to be in nature, and to connect, with yourself and with others. Sometimes through mindfulness, movement or yoga, sometimes through conversation, sometimes simply through shared presence.
Some of the most powerful moments I’ve witnessed at MOYO (and at all the trainings I have ran over the years) haven’t been about content or structure. They’ve happened in the in-between moments, when people slowly open up over the course of a few days. When strangers become friends. When people from different countries, ages, professions and worldviews learn from each other, support each other, and leave feeling strengthened - simply by being together in nature.
MOYO is still a small organisation, supported by a committed group of volunteers who help with communications and community-building. We’re still learning, still adjusting, still figuring things out as we go, and we’re proud of that. This work has always been collective, and contributions are genuinely welcome.
And alongside all of this, there is life.
I run MOYO while navigating a world that often feels chaotic, politically and socially. And personally, I carry a heavy load too - as many of you do. There is nothing romantic about that reality. I work hard for the opportunities to be in nature and to travel. But giving back, creating meaningful experiences, and building something with integrity gives me purpose, hope and much-needed energy.
I also find myself increasingly tired of the endless personal 'success stories' we see online. Yes, celebrating achievements matters. But most of us are also carrying other things - responsibility, loss, caregiving, illness, financial pressure, uncertainty. I believe it’s easier to truly celebrate each other when there is also space to be honest about what’s hard.
With MOYO Nature Travel, we want to offer amazing experiences in nature - whether that’s ethical nature & wildlife travel guided by local experts, and intimate nature retreats where connection in nature, authenticity and honesty are central.
So I’ll end with this:
Who is interested in retreats like that? Who wants to share personal experiences with others, with people who also get tired of the polished success stories, and who are looking instead for real connection? With like-minded, authentic people who value honesty, integrity and being human together?
I’d truly love to hear from you.
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