Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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Community
Established in 1999 as a private company and community trust, the Project has actively involved 20,000 local Nyanja people in carving out a huge conservation area along the shores of Lake Niassa / Malawi. It has helped build primary schools, a clinic and roads in one of Africa's last true wildernesses. And it has created a successful luxury lodge dedicated to boosting responsible international tourism.
The biggest achievement to date has been the establishment of the UMOJI association (meaning as one) which has united 16 villages in an area of 120 000 hectares giving the people of this area a voice. One of the most significant achievements of the close cooperation between Umoji and the project was that villagers were able to register their communities land as their own and to declare a conservation area of 120,000 hectares – the size of Greater London.
Environment
The entire lodge runs only on solar power – we therefore have no carbon foot print. We do not have a diesel generator at all and there is no electricity supply in this part of the world.
Water is pumped by use of a solar pump from the crystal clear waters of the lake. Once used in showers, baths and basins, water is filtered naturally through the sand and forest and returns to the lake.
All organic waste is turned into compost for the farm. Paper and cardboard is recycled and used to make paper which is then turned into greeting cards and sold in our shop.
Our fruit and vegetables come from the local community farm, no chemical pesticides are used. To keep away the insects African marigolds and lemon grass are planted, therefore avoiding the release of alien substances into the soil. The farm is a controlled area, preventing the spread of exotics, as not to alter the ecosystem in which it operates. As our vegetables are delivered by foot we have no carbon footprint for the fresh produce supply.
We only buy fish that is available in the local area and supplied by the local community therefore supporting them and encouraging them to fish responsibly. Over fishing is prevented by monitoring the area surrounding the lodge and in conjunction with the chiefs of the surrounding villages. Through educating the staff at the lodge they have in turn shared this knowledge with their families and friends (covers 16 villages and approximately 20 000 people) working together to prevent trapping and poaching of both game and fish within the Conservation Area.
In 2008, Umoji negotiated vigorously with the government and WWF (World Wildlife Fund) on the details of a new aquatic reserve for Lake Niassa. Umoji is now working with Mozambique consultants on a detailed plan for the management of the conservation area.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
