Dear ATC Readers,
Unless you were lost, deep in the African bush for the past few weeks, you would have heard that Kafunta River Lodge turned 20 on 4th July!
We invited all our guests and fans to celebrate with us by means of a contest! See the list of winners further down!
Of course Anke and Ron were at the lodge to celebrate with the staff, some of them having been with us for those 20 years! Indeed when they started building the lodge, many people from Mfuwe were hired to work on the construction, and then were re-trained to become skilful employees exchanging their helmets and tools for chef’s hat, waiter’s apron, guide’s caps and housekeeper’s broom.
Only a few photos remain from those old days, thanks also to our most loyal guests!
It’s come a long way in 20 years, although some people haven’t changed at all…
Or have they?
While the Cowan family grew (up), so did Kafunta Safaris with the addition of Island Bush Camp in 2001, Kafunta’s suites in 2005 and more recently Three Rivers Camp (in 2017).
On July 4th, all staff and guests were invited to share a birthday cake and celebrate in style!
THANK YOU to all those involved in our success for the past 20 years, we could not have done without you! And we look forward to the next 20!
20th BIRTHDAY CONTEST – WINNERS
We ran a birthday contest for 20 days, between July 4th and 24th (via a newsletter and our Facebook Page) which was a great success as we had 587 entries, and 10 winners!
Each entry meant a chance to win one of the 7 raffle prizes, and the winners are by order:
- Robert Della-Sala (UK) who wins Patrick Bentley’s new book TIMELESS
- Kurt Goldsby (USA) who wins Ed Selfe’s 2019 Calendar
- Charles Johnson (Zambia) who wins Ed Selfe’s 2019 Calendar
- Emily Lowther (UK) who wins a year-subscription to Travel Africa magazine
- Andy Richardson (UK) who wins a year-subscription to Travel Africa magazine
- Jenny Hodgkingson (SA) who wins the Bradt Guide to Zambia (special edition)
- Iris Breeman (Netherlands) who wins the Luangwa Valley book by Ilona Hupe
The second part of our contest was a FUN SAFARI PHOTO COMPETITION where we called for creativity and humour to create or re-create a safari photo that would make us smile! We received 50 photos, out of which 30 made it past our first selection. Anke, Ron & myself then voted for our preferred 8, and finally selected the 3 winning photos! It was hard to choose, and we wish to thank all of you who took the time to submit your artwork! We did have good laughs with all of them!
- 3rd PLACE goes to Suzie Bennett (Australia) and her man-eating dog-lion! Suzie wins a $100 voucher from Mulberry Mongoose!
- 2nd PLACE goes to Max Kayser (Luxembourg) for his "what-else-could-go-wrong" scene of the Luangwa! Max wins a $200 voucher from Tribal Textiles!
- 1st PLACE, and GRAND PRIZE, goes to Heilgart Biller (Germany) for her "Erik the Elk" uncertain fate! Heilgart wins a Three-night Stay at Kafunta River Lodge!!!
CONGRATULATIONS to the 3 photo winners, to the 7 raffle winners and THANK YOU to all those who participated in our 20th birthday contest!
And a BIG THANK YOU to our generous sponsors who have donated special prizes for this competition: Tribal Textiles, Mulberry Mongoose, Patrick Bentley Photography, Edward Selfe Photography, Travel Africa Magazine, Kamageo/Bradt Guide and Ilona Hupe! Thank you!
What else happened in July??
Lots has been seen on safari in the past weeks. Between the guides and spotters, who obviously are on safari almost every day, and some of our managers who get to go out once in a while, here are some of the most recent sightings.
PROJECT LUANGWA – New Craft Shop
The shopping in Mfuwe got a whole lot better now that Project Luangwa has revamped its craft shop, making it bigger and even more welcoming. A variety of crafts are on offer, from bags to clothing to cards to wood bowls and much more. A must stop, only a short distance from the main park entrance and convenient when coming or going to the airport. The shop employs several local people who are creating most items on site for everyone to see and chat with. Proceeds are reinvested in several projects.
Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust – Tribute to the Luangwa River
We’re all familiar with the extraordinary work achieved by Anna & Steve at Chipembele in educating the younger generations in terms of environment and conservation. This year they have taken their annual Environmental Campaign to the next level by making a huge mural right in the centre of town. With the support of their Conservation students, staff, partners and many community members, they painted a 50 meter by 5 meter mural for all to admire.
Our managers Wilson (above) and Anelle & Dottie (below) were there to help too!
This beautiful painting was designed by Emma Still and Liberty Olds, both of Zoos South Australia and made possible with the additional support of Creating for Conservation and WWF Zambia. The community-wide effort reflects the strong pull and cultural identity and heritage we all have towards the Luangwa River. We depend upon it for our livelihoods, source of safe drinking water, floodplain agriculture, trade, nature-based tourism economy, recreation and more! The mural is made of images of Luangwa wildlife and village scenes showcasing every day life along the river, with several messages streaming through in both English and Chinyanja: “Our river is healthy, wild and free,” “The Luangwa River supports wildlife and communities,” “Keep the Luangwa River free flowing,” and “Learn to conserve with Chipembele”. After 3 weeks of serious work, the ribbon-cutting ceremony took place last weekend, in presence of His Honourable Chief Kakumbi and other dignitaries, and accompanied by music and dancing dear to our Zambian community.
If you didn’t read our last newsletter, make sure to support the #KeepTheLuangwaFlowing campaign, help us protect the Luangwa River from the project to build a hydropower dam at Ndevu Gorge, south of the South Luangwa National Park and sign the petition here. The petition is opened to both Zambians and internationals. Thank you!
You can also click on the image below to read more about the Free Flowing Luangwa.
Meet our guests… Suzie & Nigel Bennett
Early July, Suzie and Nigel returned to Kafunta for their second year in a row, this time with an additional purpose. Meeting the young man they are sponsoring through Project Luangwa: Julias Chulu.
Here is their inspiring story.
When and why did you decide to sponsor a child in Luangwa? We had visited Kafunta last year and heard about Project Luangwa and how they helped the local community in Mfwue and thought that it was a worthwhile way to "give back" locally. We visited the Project Luangwa office and met Karen and Dave and saw the shelf in the office with school shirts, school bags and school items ready for issue. We were given the story of how the Government pays for primary school for all children but can’t afford secondary education. We have three children of our own, the youngest being sixteen and thought that when we got back to Australia we would see if we could sponsor a child through high school.
Was it an easy process for you? We contacted Project Luangwa through their website and was given updates as to when students would come up for sponsorship in Dec and Jan if they had passed their exams. Although all the sponsorships had been issued, we were told about Julias whose
great aunt had made an arrangement where he could attend school the days she could afford to pay. He was wanting to go to school but was kept being turned away on some days when his fees weren’t paid. His great aunt had then travelled to Mfwue to try to get Julias a sponsorship to pay the fees. We were happy to sponsor Julias and so it
was an easy matter to pay for a year’s schooling for him. I would suggest if interested in sponsoring a child to keep up with the Project Luangwa facebook page.
Were you exchanging correspondence with Julias prior to your visit? We were initially sent a photo of Julias along with a letter from him outlining his situation. Once we sponsored him he sent us a letter letting us know his family situation, hopes, ambitions and interests.
We replied with a letter and a photo of our family and were able to communicate via scans and emails through the Project Luangwa office.
Tell us more about your visit with Julias and his carers. We visited Kafunta and the bush camps again this year but wanted to take this opportunity to meet Julias and his family. We were very pleased that Fwilane from Project Luangwa and Anke from Kafunta were able to liaise and make it happen. We went out to Kamoto school and met with Julias, his teachers and Deputy Principal.
Julias is the only child at the school sponsored through the project and it would be so worthwhile for more students to be able to go to secondary school in that area. It was wonderful to be able to see how smart he looked in his pressed white shirt, school tie, shiny black shoes and uniform. He was shy but happy. Together with Fwilane, Anke, the Deputy Principal and Julias, we all went to visit his family. Both Julias’s parents have died and he is cared for by his great aunt and his grandmother (photo above). He has no electricity or lighting at home to study by at night.
He took us to his house and showed us the cotton bales they collect for the market. He gave us a gift of a bowl of peanuts picked from their garden. We gave Julias a soccer ball to replace the one he uses made of plastic bags and plastic bottles. It was a very special day for us and I think also for Julias. It is wonderful to think that we can make a difference and assist Julias to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor. A huge thank you to all involved.
I think we can certainly say a big thank you in return to Suzie and Nigel for their big heart, and their kind action. Don’t hesitate to contact us or Any question? Contact me now!
