Currently living in Tanzania's safari capital of Arusha, Emmanuel Shayo, known as "Promise," is originally from the  village of Marangu, located near the climbing base camp for Mount Kilimanjaro. He grew up in a family of nature lovers and credits his grandfather, a ranger with the anti-poaching unit in Tsavo National Park, as the reason he is a naturalist guide today. In his traditional home, the family slept on animal skins—typically from cow, goat or sheep, depending on what livestock was raised. Promise's grandfather had retired shortly before he was born, and to honor the diligent work he had done to protect the park's wildlife from poachers, he was rewarded with the skin of a male lion that was confiscated during his tenure. He gave that skin to his new grandson to sleep on. He remembers his grandmother telling him the story when he was a little boy, and from it grew a great love of both the grandfather he never met, and of the lions he sought to protect. From very early on, Promise wanted to follow in his grandfather's footsteps, conserving nature, which has pursued in his career as a naturalist guide. 

After secondary school, Promise went to Dar es Salaam to study tourism and guiding at the National College of Tourism, where he earned his  certification as a professional tour guide for Tanzania. After graduation, his first job was guiding from a camp in the Selous Game Reserve, now known as Nyerere National Park. Always intent on furthering his learning, he pursued additional training programs over several years, gaining expertise in leading walking safaris, rifle handling for safety in the bush, boat driving and camp management. Promise has also cultivated a love of photography, recording images of the animals, birds, trees and sunsets that enchant him on safari. Sounds, too, spark his imagination, and one of his favorite safari experiences is listening to the wild in the evening, as dusk moves toward night, the wind blowing softly, lions roaring in the distance and hyenas calling out to one another. 

In case you're wondering about Emmanuel/Promise's two names, it's common practice to bestow two upon a baby born into the Chagga tribe: one is the official name for a child's ID, while the tribal name reflects the special circumstances surrounding one's birth. In his case, "Promise" evolved from his mother's story. As the only girl born into a family of 14 children, she was fortunate to be sent to school, since it was not a priority at that time to educate girls. While she was in secondary school, she became pregnant and had to leave. When her baby boy was born, she named him Sikujua, which means "I didn't know." Others, however, gave a more hopeful nickname to her child, calling him "Ahadi Ya Mungu," meaning "He is God's promise." When Emmanuel started work in the tourism industry, the company that hired him already had five Emmanuels, and they were asked to choose different names to avoid confusion. That's when he decided to use Ahadi instead of Sikujua, claiming the meaning of "Promise" for his life and future. 

Promise has expanded his guiding expertise throughout East Africa and into the Okavango Delta. But he also yearns to travel to new places, one day hoping to see tigers in India, polar bears in the Arctic, the Galapagos Islands—the amazing creatures and places showcased on nature programs.

Upcoming Adventures with Emmanuel:
Tanzania’s Great Migration & Ngorongoro Crater

Praise from Nat Hab travelers: 

D. Diaz
Promise has an incredible depth of knowledge about both the animals and the environment we explored. His enthusiasm in sharing facts and anecdotes was infectious! I particularly appreciated how Promise presented information in a very connected way; for instance, how he interwove behaviors among animals (prey/predators) in relation to seasons, surroundings, instincts, etc. I have a background in wildlife and natural studies and his expertise blew me away!

J. Cushman
Promise was an awesome leader! He was very personable and attentive to us as guests and appeared to have very strong working relationships with all of the staff we encountered at the various camps and hotels.

K. Lozito
Promise was an excellent Expedition Leader and was a large part of the success of the trip. He was professional and engaging with guests and staff and was attentive to the needs of each guest. And he has a wonderful sense of humor! Promise is also an expert on Kenyan animals and birds. His knowledge enabled him to anticipate the actions of the wildebeest river crossings, allowing us to witness five river crossings in just three days! He also predicted the behavior of a cheetah and we were able to watch it hunt, catch and eat an impala.
Thank you, Promis,e for everything!

B. Bunn
This trip exceed any and all expectations I had. Promise is extremely knowledgeable, personable and has a great sense of humor. He by far made the trip even more successful by knowing where and when to be in certain areas from his understanding of animals behaviors. He is a remarkable young man who spent time with each guest and explained so many things we saw. Promise is an asset to the team and your company!

L. White
The trip in and of itself was amazing, but Promise made it even more special. He was always available and ready to help and is extremely knowledgeable and eager to share his knowledge. He has a great sense of humor, laughs readily, and always has a smile on his face. Promise was a huge factor in making the trip so very enjoyable. Hold onto that guy, and be sure to clone him if that technology is ever developed!

A. Glessner
Promise was an exceptional leader! He handled himself with grace and confidence and seemed to have an expansive depth of knowledge, which he expertly shared with the group. He's an all-round great human being, which, combined with his technical and leadership skills, made him an outstanding trip leader. He is also a fantastic role model for his team and seemed to excel at the mentoring role. I could not recommend him more highly!