Growing sustainable livelihoods in Africa
The Covid-19 pandemic has left its mark on Africa’s tourism sector, which accounts for about 7% of the continent’s average GDP and 6.8% of its total employment. That’s 24.6 million people who were affected almost immediately by the worldwide closure of domestic and international travel in early 2020. The ripple effect has been considerable, with families no longer able to afford household staples and the health of local economies suffering as a result.
With funding from the Green Safaris Foundation, each Green Safaris property supports at least one community development project, projects which survive and thrive just by having people stay at one of the lodges or camps in Zambia and Malawi. Along with these existing projects, we have ramped up support within the broader Green Safaris’ family to ensure those within our neighbouring communities can put food on their tables during these uncertain times.
One such example is the Mukuni community organic farm found just outside the town of Livingstone. The teams from Tongabezi Lodge and Sindabezi Island Camp worked with members of the village to turn 12,74 hectares of barren land into a flourishing farm. While we continue to collaborate with the community, the goal is for it to become an independent and sustainable livelihood source for several households.