Mozambique and Zambia safari and beach holiday

Environment
We have successfully protected the lodge area of 650 hectares from poaching and fires. As a result zebra, warthog, kudu and otter are starting to return. Additionally, a huge conservation area of 120,000 hectares (roughly the size of greater London) has been established - covering an area between the lakeshore and the Messinge River, 40km to the east. The lakeshore and escarpment have dry land forests, while thinly wooded savannah and marsh land exists on the plateau. It is a pristine wilderness, with great potential for both wildlife and tourism – recent wildlife sightings include wild dog, elephant, bushbuck, reedbuck, duiker, sable, hippo and leopard. The aim is to encourage villagers to work together investing in, rather than over-exploiting, their natural resources.

With the help of the Swedish Co-operative Centre and a local NGO - UCA (Union of Rural Associations) - local Nyanja communities have agreed to stop hunting wild animals and cutting wood for export and instead focus on sustainable agriculture and tourism – activities which have the potential to provide greater communal and long term benefits for the communities. Community participation has been constant throughout the eight year project and an association, called the Umoji Association (meaning ‘as one’), has been formed to represent all 15 villages within the area and legally own and manage the conservation area. Following a process of delimitation of the community land (with the assistance of the government), the Umoji Association now have the land titles, while each of the communities also hold the titles to their own community land.

The next stage in this project is to carry out some structured training for the Umoji Association to build their capacity to manage the reserve, while developing a professional management plan for th. The aim is for the area to then be officially opened to tourists and a daily fee charged for visiting the reserve. This revenue will be used to help cover the running costs, with any surplus going to the Umoji Association. Although land conservation is a major part of preserving the area, the lodge also borders Lake Niassa and extensive fishing with mosquito nets is starting to drain the lake of its biodiversity. To combat this we have proposed that a lake reserve is set up over a four kilometre stretch each side of the lodge. If successful the reserve will be only the second fresh water reserve in the world (the first being across the lake in Malawi).

Community
Our community trust, established as a UK Charity in 2004 - is comprised of an independent board of Trustees appointed for their expertise in African development. MWCT acts as the primary vehicle for funding community development projects and raising funds for local NGOs already active in Niassa Province. Donations have come from guests at the lodge, friends, schools and churches in Europe and the USA, as well as donor government development agencies working in Mozambique.

There are fifteen villages currently working with the Trust and each has a development committee which discusses and approves their most urgent development project. So far six communities have chosen to build schools and Cobue (where you may have passed through immigration) has chosen a grinding mill and a new maternity clinic. All projects are managed as a partnership between the community committees and ourselves. Both sides contribute to the project; for example, in the construction of a school, the Trust contributes by providing roofing sheets and cement, while the communities make bricks and take responsibility for the building construction. In this way the development programme achieves active community participation and helps strengthen civil society.

We also supports an annual football tournament, which all 15 villages participate in, competing for a prize cup. Future projects planned include: furniture for the schools, construction of more schools in the other villages within the Wilderness Area, teachers’ houses and water wells (particularly for some of the villages inland) and a jetty in Cobue. How to get involved If you would like to visit any of the community projects then a trip to the farm or one of the nearby villages can easily be arranged. We are currently building schools in Mbueca, Mala, Mandambuzi, Mataka, Chigoma and Uchessi, while in Cobue you can visit the Maternity Clinic and Maize Mill. Any donations to the projects are very welcome – we still have a lot of work to do and all the schools still lack furniture and equipment.