Lake Malawi lodge accommodation, Mozambique
How this vacation makes a difference
Environment
The project is a community conservation scheme, aimed at improving the standard of living for the local people whilst also protecting indigenous wildlife and its habitat. Villages situated beside Lake Malawi rely on fishing; those away from the lakeside formerly existed primarily by hunting. Research has shown, however, that the numbers of animals are dropping and that they are finding it harder and harder to catch sufficient meat and fish. The project aims to address some of these issues by development through tourism. By providing the community with alternative ways in which to earn a living they should be able to stop the hunting and reverse the downward spiral of animal numbers.
The lodge itself is built out of local materials, in a sustainable way and fits in unobtrusively beside the lake. Great care is taken with the use of chemicals for washing etc. and they are using naturally decomposing "long-drop" toilets. Stays at the lodge therefore help provide local employment, funds for well-needed local priorities such as education, transport and medical care, whilst also giving the traveler a wonderful welcoming glimpse of life in rural Africa. Visitors can enjoy the fact that they have contributed in conserving the wildlife and habitat that they see, as well as assisted the local people who are so keen to interact with people from the rest of the world.
Community
The project is working with 15 villages to set up community committees to assist with development projects of the community’s choice. These projects have to date included the construction of 6 schools, a maize mill and a maternity clinic. We work in partnership with the village committees on these projects, providing materials and resources such as cement while the committees provide the bricks, labour and manage the project. An agricultural project has also been established, which involves a demonstration farm with the dual purpose of providing locally grown produce for the lodge, and training local communities to grow a greater variety of produce (to improve nutrition) and improved farming techniques to stimulate the production of surplus produce in the villages that can be sold to the lodge and elsewhere. The lodge charges a bed-night levy of $5 per bed night, which is used to finance these projects.
This Lake Malawi lodge accommodation is the first Community and Wildlife based Conservation Project on the shores of Lake Niassa (the Mozambican side of Lake Malawi). The Project, in association with the local Chiefs and Provincial Government, has established a community conservation area of 120,000 hectares. A community association - the Umoji association, has also been created with assistance from the lodge to manage the conservation area. Umoji represents 20,000 people from 15 villages through a combination of democratic and traditional representation. Through Umoji the communities have secured their land titles to the community land and the conservation area - an achievement that is a first on this scale for Mozambique
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