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The Mozambique luxury beach lodge is involved with the community on Benguerra Island. They assisted with housing, shelter and food over the cyclone period. They employ all their local staff from the island and surrounding area, they have trained them up from being dhow sailors, to builders, waiters and boat skippers. Guests staying at the lodge are encouraged to do an island drive where guests get to see how the locals live in their traditional villages. The locals brew palms to make a beer which guests can sample while on an island drive.
We have started many projects over the years and we would like to continue with these to assist the island residents. When visiting the Island, a $10 National Parks Levy is paid by each guest, of which $8 goes to the Bazaruto National Parks fund for the conservation of the National Park and $2 goes to Khani Kwedo, the local community fund. At the Mozambique luxury beach lodge we presently support the islanders by:
Hiring Dhows for guest cruises.
Using their dhows for transport of goods to and from the Lodge.
Buying fish from the local fisherman for our staff and guests.
Creating jobs and teaching skills such as carpentry, cooking and bricklaying.
Providing an in house clinic where islanders are welcome to ask for free medical assistance and medicines.
We have recently started our own “Soup Kitchen” for the children. Using the excess food from the lodge, a nutritious soup is prepared two to three times a week. We also provide dessert once a week. As vegetables and fruit are not grown on the island presently, this enables the children to receive a regular nutritious meal.
If you would like to assist the community you may bring items with you or purchase them while you are here. Examples of donations would be:
Items such as pens, pencils and exercise books as schoolchildren are required to provide their own materials.
Second hand clothes and shoes for both adults and children are always greatly appreciated.
A deflated soccer ball, boots, shorts and shirts for the soccer mad islanders would be welcome.
Alternatively, if you would like to contribute to one of the larger projects, lodge personnel can discuss this with you. Ongoing projects include:
Establishing a vegetable garden to provide fresh produce.
Purchasing desks for the school children.
The supply of blankets for the winter months.
Upgrading the school with items such as educational posters, blackboards and stationery requirements
Providing new clothing for small children and infants.
We are situated in a National marine park within a heritage site, known as Benguerua Island in the Bazaruto archipelago, the WWF also has a base station/office on our Island. The lodge works on a silent generator system. We use well water for all lodge purposes. The water is purified and used for the guests – it is fantastic and incredibly clean and pure. We have showers and half flush toilets. Used water is used in the gardens. There is also a soak away system which fertilizes the plants. Guests are asked to spare water as much as possible, sheets are changed when guests require new linen and towels. There are compost gardens at the back.
We buy fish & seafood from fisherman who fish in and around the Islands. Fruit is bought from Vilanculos or grown on the Island. Should supplies be low – we by from local producers in South Africa. We use all local companies for our thatch. We support Khane Kwedo which is a trust for the people of the island and we run various projects eg raising money to buy school desks, will be establishing a vegetable garden in autumn, donation of school supplies to the children.
We have guinea fowls and other bird species around the Mozambique luxury beach lodge, eg crowned hornbills, green pigeon. We have a bird bath and put out food for the birds and leave the garden for natural flowers and grasses to grow wild. We compost organic and garden waste which we use in our flower beds around the lodge. We recycle waste paper within in the lodge for scrap paper.
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