Namibia: African Monarch Lodges updates

African Monarch Lodges

African Monarch Lodges, encompassing Nambwa Tented Lodge, Kazile Island Lodge and Nambwa Campsite stand as the exclusive accommodations nestled within Namibia's Bwabwata National Park, situated in the Zambezi Region (formerly Caprivi Strip), and part of KAZA.

An Okavango Delta experience at Namibian dollar prices, and don’t forget, we are a great addition to itineraries that include Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana.

We are also home to The Sijwa Project, a community-based project where community members whom we trained, recycle waste into artisanal crafts. As joint venture lodges we serve as custodians of some of Africa’s last pristine wilderness and wildlife, while contributing 12% of our revenue, before expenses and tax is deducted, to the Mayuni and Mashi Conservancies each month. Guests’ stays directly supports these communities.

-        Our Sustainability Levy has been applied across African Monarch Lodges

-        Both the lodges have Wi-Fi in all their rooms. Nambwa Campsite also has Wi-Fi.

-        The Sijwa Project continues to grow and benefit all. New projects include: 

o   Beehive Project – the purpose of which is to mitigate human-elephant conflict and provide sustenance to the community & lodge.

o   Aluminium recycling workshop – we transform tins into art.

o   Vocational Residency - we train 15 school leaving young adults from the Mayuni Conservancy over a 3-year period. These modules include hospitality, field guide training, journalism, art, sculpting, carpentry, computer courses, fashion design, pottery and 8 other career and skills training courses.

-        Activities available at both lodges:

o   Visit to the Sijwa Project

o   Morning or Afternoon Game Drive

o   Morning or Afternoon Boat Cruise

o   Bush Walk

o   Bush Breakfast or Brunch (min 6 pax)

o   Special Sundowner Set-Up at Horseshoe Lagoon (min 6 pax)

o   Romantic Picnic in the Bush (min 2 pax)

o   Fishing

-        Activities specific to Nambwa Tented Lodge:

o   Kids on Safari 3-night Package

o   Retreats in the Wild (specific dates)

There has been a lot of change for all of us in the past 18 months.

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Namibia: African Monarch Lodges - The Sijwa Project update

The sewing workshop was never part of the original vision for The Sijwa Project.  With so much time on everyone’s hands as African Monarch Lodges came to a complete standstill when the COVID-19 Pandemic hit the world in March 2020, we thought it would be time well spent sewing uniquely designed bathrobes as an essential offering to our esteemed guests staying in our Nambwa suites.  All it required was a sewing machine and some fabric, or so we thought. Sadly none of our staff or management could sew. This drove us to find a way to make this dream of special hand made bathrobes a reality.

Two years later with the successful training of 8 women from our local community, we have the most gorgeous bathrobes.  Hand made with love.

Our tented suites emanate a feeling of vastness and evoke a gentle balance of serenity.  It is therefore only fitting that we showcase the talent of our artisans from The Sijwa Project by offering our guests a linen bathrobe in the allure of Africa's most exotic hue of yellow and green.

During Isabel de Villiers' first visit to The Sijwa Project, we asked her if she could make our dream a reality by designing the bathrobe which sparked the start of one of the best facets of The Sijwa Project.

We were approached by Switzerland’s Africa Design Travel to create 500 branded information bags for their esteemed clients traveling to Africa.

Our proud team of ladies from the sewing workshop at The Sijwa Project could not believe that their handy work will be flying across the ocean and will be adorned by guests traveling to Africa from Switzerland.

We thank John Stewardson and Petra Buller for this beautiful collaboration and their support to uplift and develop the craftsmanship of our community women. A wearable art collection for all shapes and sizes, inspired by all the talented artists that surround her daily. From everyday objects to investment pieces.

She created 4 sizes inclusive of season-less staples that feature hand embroidery panels made by the talented Sijwa Project. Each panel is unique and part of a limited edition collaboration.

Isabel shines a light on the talent and passion of each woman who forms part of The Sijwa Project. It's a privilege to collaborate with her again.

African Monarch Lodges, P. O. Box 5072, Windhoek, Namibia

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Namibia: Sustainable Fashion Manufactured in Zambezi Region

Sustainable Fashion Manufactured in the remote Zambezi Region of Namibia

The Sijwa Project has a broad vision of empowering the local community by creating jobs, preserving traditional knowledge, teaching skills and conserving the surrounding environment through a variety of recycling and innovative activities.

The sewing workshop was never part of the original plan for The Sijwa Project. Covid-19 brought about the vision to include a sewing workshop. After various discussions and donations, it came to be.

Initially, the ladies were taught basic sewing skills and started by manufacturing shopping bags. This grew and today we can present to you a range of clothing, by different designers, Namibian and South African, made with love at The Sijwa Project.

Chanique Rabe, Miss Supranational 2021, designed The Sijwa Dress exclusively for The Sijwa Project in April 2021. The Sijwa Dress is a Red, easy-to-wear, linen-blend dungaree style dress. She taught the senior seamsters step-by-step how to make the dress and gave in-depth training on dressmaking.

Once completed, the ladies modeled the finished garment with absolute pride. The Sijwa seamsters then made their own dresses to wear as uniform in a bright happy yellow, using the design of The Sijwa Dress.

THE SIJWA PROJECT NOW DOES EMBROIDERY

When we started the Sewing Workshop at The Sijwa Project, embroidery was not a skill that crossed our minds.

Isabel de Villiers with a passion to share her skills and empower these women further, decided she would teach them embroidery to add to their repertoire.

The ladies were taught the different colour combinations and then taken through basic embroidery stitches.

Isabel skillfully coaxed each lady to tap into their inner artist and lovingly harness endless possibilities and creative styles.

Embroidering their own butterfly using the stitches they learnt and inspired by the colours of nature around them, they composed a little song about the butterfly which brought tears to Isabel’s eyes.

They then layered threads and colours on top of each other to create three dimensional art work.

Their hand embroidered butterflies are showcased on their Kimono Jackets making each one unique. One can see the girl’s personalities pop through each stitch length and colour combinations.

Each being one of a kind and unique.

"Designing something of value and with meaning is important in today's world filled with stuff. We should all get dressed with intention.

I grabbed the opportunity to conceptualize and design the ‘Dusty Men's Tunic’ for African Monarch Lodges. The Tunic is a combination of the project's success, local empowerment and integrity of design inspired by this piece of paradise in the Zambezi Region of Namibia.

The pattern and first sample was developed at The Sijwa Project, quite unexpectedly. We first drafted the pattern and made a rough first sample on the machines. Then we fitted the sample on various staff and team members and adjusted the fit according to their feedback.

The result, a timeless Tunic Top you will love wearing for years to come. These tunics are made from Linen fabric and have a simplistic and modern feel to them. They are made with love at the hands of the talented woman of The Sewing Workshop at The Sijwa project." Isabel de Villiers, owner and fashion designer of Isabel de Villiers Clothing.

All these exquisite dresses and our tunic is made with love at The Sijwa Project and are available at the curio shop of Nambwa Tented Lodge.

THE SIJWA PROJECT AT SA FASHION WEEK!

We present to you the garments designed and created by Isabel de Villiers, embroidered with love by the Sijwa seamsters, and launched on the runway of SA Fashion Week hosted at the Mall of Africa in Johannesburg on April 30th, 2022!

"Collaborating with The Sijwa Project gave the decade celebration collection a deeper meaning of teamwork and shared passion. Seeing the end results of the hand embroidery pieces on the runway gave me goosebumps and tears. I am so proud of all the hard work and talent they put into each piece - they are collector's items, true artworks", Isabel de Villiers, fashion designer and owner of Isabel de Villiers Clothing.

Indeed a proud moment for The Sijwa Project and African Monarch Lodges.  Dusty and Tinolla attended the event and their hearts filled with absolute pride and gratitude. Gratitude to Isabel de Villiers and Nikita Rix-Venter for their unwavering support and our beautiful collaboration.

African Monarch Lodges, P.O. Box 5072, Windhoek, Namibia.

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African Monarch Lodges: Kids on Safari - Junior Ranger Course | Намбва Намибия

African Monarch Lodges

Kids on Safari | Junior Ranger Course

Looking at the wonders of nature through the eyes of a child is the most remarkable way to go on safari as a family. It is for this reason that African Monarch Lodges love hosting young ones at its Nambwa Tented Lodge where children with their moms and dads are accommodated at a Peter Pan Treetop Style lodge.

We run a Junior Ranger Family Retreat during scheduled dates, for the balance of the year we offer a ‘Kids on Safari’ package.

BOAT CRUISE TO NAMBWA TENTED LODGE

The late afternoon sun’s rays will reflect off the water’s edge, the soothing sound of the water as it is gently broken by the bow of the boat cutting through the water’s surface as you and your family are transferred to your home for the next 3 nights. Our guides steer the boats past varied landscapes of papyrus islands and reed floodplains and get within respectful distances of hippos, crocodiles, other mammals, and the varied bird species this area is known for.  Your Junior Ranger Guide will teach you all about the aquatic birds and wildlife species that you will encounter along the way.

ARRIVAL AT NAMBWA TENTED LODGE

Once you settle into your suite, you will receive your guide pack which contains a Treasure Map of all the goodies you need to find to help keep you entertained and to educate you about the African Bush. Then you will be whisked away by the Junior Ranger Guide for the famous Nambwa Treasure Hunt, which will help you familiarize yourself with the bush around Nambwa, while you go in search of all the treasures. There is so much to discover around this massive Peter-Pan style treehouse.

AFTER DINNER WITH YOUR FOLKS

You will once again be whisked away to a private bonfire on the ground where the wildlife seek sanctuary in the night.  You will be entertained with tales from the African bush and some pertinent anecdotes for your ranger journey ahead.

BUSHWALK INSIDE THE WORLD’S LARGEST CONSERVATION AREA FOR WILDLIFE

You get to explore on foot with the Junior Ranger Guide and one of our Local Guides the wanders of Mother Nature.  They will teach you their tracking skills and share with you their ancestral repertoire of medicinal uses of the flora along the way and their tales of the wild and their upbringing in this area.

It is an experience, which connects and grounds any participant to our Earth. You will be taught survival skills in the bush which is home to lion, buffalo, elephants, leopard, and other wildlife roaming these plains freely. You will get to tick off many species on your checklist.  Perhaps even have a competition with the adults on who spotted more.

You will be prepared for your bush quiz which awaits you back in camp!  After breakfast, you will be making your own bedroll for the evening using the indigenous Papyrus reeds which grow in abundance along the Kwando River.

BOAT CRUISE ALONG THE KWANDO RIVER

Late afternoon you can all explore the riverways and you get to continue your African bush school as you meander along these exceptional rivers with your Junior Ranger Guide.  Who knows how much can be learned during these magical hours as time tends to stand still when in awe of Africa?  Your family could try their hand at fishing for the energetic Tiger Fish or continue the "Who identifies more" on your checklist.  By the end of your trip you will know all the collective nouns, main characteristics and tracks for the wildlife you encounter and you will be able to identify these by sound or sight.  You are after all an apprentice as a Junior Ranger!

CAMPING UNDER THE AFRICAN SKY ON A PRIVATE ISLAND

Once back at Nambwa, you will say good night to Mom and Dad.  You will then board a boat and drift down the river on a majestical quest with your Junior Ranger Guide.  You will arrive on a private island where camp has been prepared for an adventurous night under the symphony of stars.  The reed mats you made earlier will be laid out with a mosquito net overhead, so you get to soak in the starlit skies once ready to curl into bed.  As your private Chef cooks your dinner straight on the fire, you get to be inspired by the tales of your guide as hyenas giggle, frogs croak, with crazy creatures and amazing animals all around you.

THE SIJWA PROJECT EXPERIENCE

The Sijwa host and the Junior Ranger Guide will meet you and your parents and guide you through the project which was established by African Monarch Lodges as part of its endeavor to be sustainable and give back to the community and conservation by protecting the natural resources and developing the local community through a biodiverse economy.

It is here where you will be entertained and be enriched with local culture as you partake in a visit to the cultural village.  A walk through the permaculture plants, recycling workshops where waste such as plastic, glass and cans are turned into beautiful artifacts.  You will try your hand at polishing recycled beads and then you will get to design your very own bracelet.  You will also be given a piece of paper onto which you will write your private wish and you get to watch this melt into a special mold which will be used to create your personal lucky glass bead.  You will only see your bead again during your Junior Ranger Award Certification.

AFTERNOON GAMEDRIVE WITH A SUNDOWNER PICNIC AT HORSESHOE BEND

As the afternoon shadows lengthen your game drive departs to discover the unknown behind every bend within the Bwabwata National Park.  Your classroom in your own private game viewer with the bush at large.

You will arrive at the place where a large troop of baboons call home.  While Mom and Dad get to enjoy a delightful sundowner on their picnic blanket you will be entertained by the Baboons antics while you too could be entertaining them with silly bush games such as spitting buck poop.

JUNIOR RANGER CERTIFICATION

Then for the grand finale you get to celebrate your exploration in the Bwabwata National Park as a Junior Ranger and will be awarded your Junior Ranger Certificate and the special Rangers Gift (hmmm, remember the glass bead with your special wish you made at The Sijwa Project?

KIDS ON SAFARI PACKAGE 

Our Kids on Safari Package can be Booked during the Reservation Process.

The KIDS ON SAFARI Supplement will Include:

- All meals including tailor-made child-friendly menus plus chocolate smors around the fire before bedtime.

- Arrival welcome gift

- A treasure hunt to collect the treasures for their guide backpack to keep them entertained and to educate 

  them about the African Bush;

- Safari walks around the Lodge to spot birds, insects, and many other creatures;

- Junior Ranger training whilst on game drives and boat cruises

- Fishing on the Kwando River in a private boat with a private guide. Dads can join for a fun family adventure;

- The art of jewelry making and wish embedding at The Sijwa Project;

- Making of a traditional reed bed for their camping quest

- Dinner & camping on a private island in the bush

- Tales around the fire

- Junior Ranger Certification & Gift 

We have game drive vehicles that can accommodate a young family of four for private game viewing with a private guide without having to pay exclusive use of the vehicle.

African Monarch Lodges, P.O. Box 5072, Windhoek, Namibia

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Namibia: Retreats at African Monarch Lodges this year

Retreats at African Monarch Lodges this year

We invite you to join Dusty and I as we immerse ourselves into a sphere of healing energy at Nambwa Tented Lodge inside the Bwabwata National Park in the Eastern Zambezi Region of Namibia with 6 healing retreats to select from during 2022.

We will be cradled in the healing sanctuary of Nambwa Tented Lodge, raised high above the ground allowing the majestic elephants traversing these age-old migratory routes to have right of way.   An authentic walkway joins ten decadently spacious tented suites, which emanate a feeling of vastness and evoke a gentle balance of serenity.

NAMBWA FAMILY RETREAT

Bring the kids to Namwa Tented Lodge for a family safari like no other

15 - 18 April 2022

Looking at the wonders of nature through the eyes of a child is the most remarkable way to go on safari as a family. Nambwa Tented Lodge offers their Family Retreat during the Easter holidays where children with their moms and dads are accommodated at a Peter Pan Treetop Style lodge.

Includes a Junior Ranger Mini-Course, carefully designed to introduce young people to the mystery and excitement of the African wilderness, the program will give its participants a taste of the skills every budding bush ranger needs. Under the care of our experienced field guides, they will learn fascinating facts about the unique wildlife of Bwabwata National Park, discover how to identify these creatures by sight, call and track, and uncover the secrets of the trees and plants growing all around them. They will spend a night away from Mom and Dad on a private island, sleeping underneath the shining African stars on a reed (papyrus) mattress made by themselves.

Meanwhile, Mums and Dads will be free to join in with the learning, or perhaps join the variety of activities available, including game drives, boat safaris, bush walks or fishing trips. Those seeking a spiritual connection with their surroundings might opt to begin their day with morning yoga practice led by our dedicated instructor, who will awaken the mind, the body and the senses. Others may simply choose to relax in the luxury of Nambwa Tented Lodge.

We will celebrate the last evening with a feast on a private island in the bush. Dress up as your favourite character!

ACTIVATE YOUR DIVINE PURPOSE

You are more powerful than you know

12 - 17 June 2022

Join Lisa Armstrong and Kim Mazabow as they take us on a deep dive for 5 days to connect and retrieve the Innate Gifts which are encoded in our Hearts and very Being. Everything we need is within us. Including the Divine Life Force which initiates and sustains our lives. We will be taught simple Techniques validated by neuroscience, micro-biology and quantum physics to shift the perception of our reality. Redesigning our future and quantum jumping onto our highest available timeline.

Explore the boundaries of consciousness, rediscover the magical potential that exists within us and access more of our Super Human potential.

Join us for a unique and powerful opportunity to access the Wisdom of the Breath And Body through Breathwork, Yoga and Meditation in an unprecedented formula devised to unlock our Divine Life Purpose.

DIVING DEEP, RISING HIGH

Journey to Your Sacred Feminine Essence

28 August - 2 September 2022

The Diving Deep, Rising High retreat takes us on a powerful journey of healing and transformation during which we will reconnect with ancient feminine wisdom deep inside us, heal wounds that are keeping us from loving themselves exactly as we are and unleash our innate, feminine power. 

Facilitated by the internationally renowned women’s retreat facilitator and sacred space holder, Emmi Mutale.  We will engage in deeply healing group process work, step into powerful ceremonial space, participate in gentle movement practises designed to nurture the body, have plenty of time for reflection and relaxation, spend time in the rejuvenating African bush and nourish ourselves with healthy vegetarian cuisine lovingly prepared by the Nambwa Chefs.  

(Women's Only Retreat)

SACRED ALCHEMY

Harmonizing the Whole

2 - 7 October 2022

Sacred Alchemy is a journey through the body into the heart of the soul.

Join Melissa Mukaiwa & Sven-Eric Müller for a 5-day healing immersion in the Bwabwata National Park in the East Zambezi Region of Namibia, a region of infinite scenic beauty with a great diversity of untouched, raw, fragile, and yet powerful Nature with an abundance of wildlife. Allow for a profound re(connection) with self while being awed by Mother Nature.

Using the power of somatic movement, yoga, meditation, various energetic healing modalities, breathwork, sacred ceremony, sound healing and intuitive dance; Sven-Eric & Mel will gently support us in accessing the most profound states of divine union and transcendent, ecstatic bliss - first within ourselves and then with everyone else.

THE INVITATION

Conscious conception is to live as an invitation for life to come home

18 - 23 Nov 2022

Join Liezl Hovig on a journey into our heart of hearts and bring forth & birth that which resides within? This unique once in a lifetime couples retreat at Nambwa Tented Lodge, is equal parts knowledge sharing, personal experience and shared connection. We will embrace the opportunity to revel in each other's company through shared rituals, practices and learning. We will immerse ourselves straight into the wilderness with a luxurious & soulful back-to-nature experience in the Bwabwata National Park of Namibia. Besides the daily workshops & sessions, we will be taken on amazing game drives and boat cruises.

Expect to find the perfect balance between relaxation and invigoration as we explore the wild beauty of the East Zambezi Region. A region known for its great diversity of untouched, raw, fragile, and yet powerful Nature with an abundance of wildlife.

THE FORGOTTEN ART OF HEALING

The Forgotten Art of Healing is about cultivating true presence, ease, and joy in our daily lives by developing the energy of mindfulness, concentration, and insight

2 - 7 December 2022

Join Wolfgang Henckert on this 5-day transformative retreat that will allow us a profound (re)connection with yourself while being awed by Mother Nature.

Anticipate an inner journey that is embedded in pure nature so that we may come to appreciate the sounds, smells, and liveliness of Mother Earth. When we come to enjoy the ecstatic silence of the bush, blending our energies with that of Nature, a plenitude of animals literally walk right over us. Experienced guides will take us on carefully selected game drives, game cruises and bushwalks, nurturing us to find the magnificent presence of Now. At any given moment, we will have ample opportunities for introspection, silence, sharing, caring, releasing or just being.

Authentic Experiences in the Zambezi Region of Namibia

Superior standards and unrivalled spaces are equally matched by the detail and attention bestowed on our guests by the staff who are carefully selected from the local communities for their passion for heartfelt personal service. This ensures that all our guests enjoy an extraordinary, unparalleled and true African experience.

Our unquenchable desire to create memorable African experiences takes you on foot, by boat or vehicle, up close and personal with some of the biggest herds of elephants that traverse the largest conservation area in Africa.

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African Monarch Lodges: Nambwa Tented Lodge, Kazile Island Lodge and Nambwa Lagoon Camp

Thank you for your continued support of our African Monarch Lodges. We are pleased to announce that we will not be increasing our rates for 2022!

Nambwa Tented Lodge, Kazile Island Lodge and Nambwa Lagoon Camp are still the only lodges situated inside the Bwabwata National Park,  located in the heart of KAZA, Zambezi Region, Namibia, which forms part of Africa’s Largest Conservation Area.

Dusty and Tinolla, along with the African Monarch Lodges team have embarked on the establishment of a community based project where we recycle and repurpose  all our waste items into skilfully crafted artefacts by community members whom we have trained.

The Sijwa Project visit is one of the many activities your guests could partake in during their stay with us.  It creates an opportunity for your guests to encounter and engage with our local community while they go about their daily activities. The Sijwa project consists of an organic greenhouse based on strict permaculture principles where nutrient rich vegetables, fruit and herbs are grown to grace the menus carefully prepared by our lodge Chefs, worm farms, a chicken farm for fresh organic eggs, indigenous tree nursery to offset carbon footprints and a cultural village where the traditional ways of this fascinating community is portrayed.

During Covid, in October 2020, we established the Sewing Workshop as well as our Glass Recycling Workshop, employing a further 8 community members.  They received professional artisan skills training and are producing the most beautiful pieces.  All our workshops are built with recycled plastic mineral water bottles keeping in line with our commitment to repurpose waste.

The Sijwa Project, by African Monarch Lodges will be home to our Junior Ranger School, where we plan to train 10 adult community members to be the facilitators of this program.  We plan to train approximately 180 pupils per year and hope to instil in some of them a desire to become a Field Guide once they leave school.  It is therefore an exciting year for us and we look forward to welcoming your guests in the near future to our Sijwa Project where we give back to the land and our community.

We look forward to being of service and hosting all esteemed guests at Nambwa Tented Lodge or Kazile Island Lodge in the near future.  

Until then, do stay safe and healthy.

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Sijwa Project by African Monarch Lodges

#SijwaProject #AfricanMonarchLodges #Nambwa #KazileIslandLodge #KwandoRiver #Namibia #Botswana #ChiefMayuni #Bwabwata #KAZA #ZambeziRegion

Launch of THE SIJWA PROJECT BY AFRICAN MONARCH LODGES

What is The Sijwa Project?
It’s the re-purposing and re-inventing of all recyclable waste from the African Monarch Lodges; Nambwa Tented Lodge and Kazile Island Lodge, on the Kwando River of the Zambezi Region of Namibia, and from the local community, into exquisite saleable craft and art.

It’s also an organic permaculture nursery to supply food for local people and lodge guests (mitigating the air and road miles lodge food usually travels). The sandy soil is enhanced by composted food-waste and super-strength worm juice, given a boost by the occasional dollop of elephant dung!

It’s also a cultural village, artisanal skills training center, a beehive project, a free-range egg scheme and a junior ranger training venue. Plus, it’s an indigenous tree nursery for visitors to buy and plant a tree to offset their carbon footprint, looked after by a local ‘tree guardian’ to ensure a better chance of survival against nibbling goats.

The Chief Was Shocked!

Plastic recycling is a passion of Chief Mayuni after a conversation he once had with a tourist on a flight who made a negative remark that “plastic is a flower in Namibia, because it is everywhere” The Chief was shocked and as he drove back to the North he realised the truth of the statement and decided to put his mind to changing this in his sizable realm.

When Chief Mayuni learned of Tinolla and Dusty’s plans he released Sijwa - a traditional meeting place within his area in the Mayuni Conservancy of Bwabwata National Park, Zambezi, in the very heart of KAZA (Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area) - for this joint venture with the community. After listening carefully to all the presentations, he gave his personal blessing at a large gathering of dignitaries, international media and conservation role players on 17 November 2018 at Sijwa.

With a surplus of passion in everything they put their minds to, Tinolla and Dusty demonstrate a ‘go big or go home!’ kind of attitude and the Sijwa Project is no exception! They’ve just broken ground (literally and metaphorically) at Sijwa to upgrade some of the derelict buildings into workshops.

“This vision is bigger than us - we occupy a tiny space on this planet – but we know the Sijwa Project will make a real difference and demonstrate how people and wildlife can live sustainably together.”

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