Village lodge empowering community to conserve wildlife
People in Group Village Head (GVH) Linyangwa, along Kasungu National Park’s eastern boundary, now detest even the mere thought of tampering with wildlife in the park, for they are benefiting development projects and financial support to venture into businesses, among others.
Through Linyangwa Conservation and Cultural Village Lodge—a community-owned initiative often supported by Kasungu National Park—community members are empowered to refrain from committing wildlife crimes, attracting admiration from neighbouring communities and those along other parks and wildlife reserves.
The village lodge, situated 2.7 kilometers from the park’s main gate, began operating in early 2022, generating income which is channeled towards community development and empowerment initiatives, thereby reducing or diminishing people’s appetite to rely on wildlife.
The compound is picturesque amidst natural trees and farms, featuring four self-contained rooms, summer huts, office and reception, huge water tank and large open space, among others.
Accommodation, restaurant, bar, leisure and wildlife conservation and cultural practices are some of the services offered, mostly targeting tourists visiting Kasungu National Park.
At least 100 visitors seek various services every month, enabling the community to earn a profit of between MK150,000 to MK170,000, according to Managing Director, Kenan Chitsime.
“Among other important things, we also use the money to repair boreholes, pay school fees for orphaned and needy children and improve the lodge’s infrastructure.
“As the place will be expanding and profit increasing, we will support more community members to venture into small scale businesses,” said Chitsime.
A reed fence rings the “cherished treasure” for over 2300 subjects of GVH Linyangwa under Senior Chief Lukwa.
GVH Linyangwa actually hatched the idea of Linyangwa Conservation and Cultural Village Lodge as early as 2014, setting himself off on a long journey of rallying his subjects towards actualizing the idea, aimed at promoting wildlife conservation, tradition and culture and local tourism.
By the end of 2021 to early 2022, the village lodge had few of its structures taken shape and struggling to conduct business.
Then Kasungu National Park, through Promoting Investment and Competitiveness in Tourism Sectors project funded by African Development Bank, provided support to the facility, including improving water access, provision of solar power and renovation of rooms, among others.
The aim was to make the place become more attractive and appealing to visitors.
The park also sends some of its visitors to the village lodge, according to Chitsime, who is grateful for this partnership.
Chitsime says the facility operates through three components, namely: wildlife conservation, culture and tradition and lodge. He adds that specific services through these components attract specific visitors.
“On wildlife conservation, for instance, we civic educate and encourage community members and visitors to refrain from wildlife crimes. We encourage them to report any stray animals to officials of Kasungu National Park.
“Park officials give us extension services in that regard, which makes people cultivate good behaviours and attitudes towards wildlife, resulting in reduction in crime and human-wildlife conflicts along the park, among others”.
Apparently, Kasungu National Park, being the second-largest in Malawi and having a wide variety of animal and plant species, attracts scores of both well-meaning tourist visitors and crime mongers, from within Kasungu District and across the country.
Before the village lodge started operating, according to Chitsime, at least 100 people from GVH Linyangwa committed various wildlife crimes every year in the park, including encroachment, poaching, cutting down trees and charcoal burning.
Now, he says, there are fewer crime cases or even none.
According to statistics from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Kasungu registered only 10 arrests and 10 convictions involving wildlife crimes from January to October 2023, perhaps indicating that the village lodge may have contributed to this reduction.
Otherwise the arrests and convictions were too many in 2020 to 2021—124 and 47—respectively. In 2022, there were 18 arrests and 66 convictions.
Elizabeth Zimba, 42, says she is, therefore, proud to belong to Linyangwa Conservation and Cultural Village Lodge, an initiative aimed at eliminating wildlife crimes along Kasungu National Park, which has “enhanced her passion for development and conserving wildlife”.
Thokozani Nkhoma, 26, says the initiative changed for the better her mindset and attitude towards wildlife, adding, “I am committed to the cause of achieving the ultimate vision of the village lodge”.
GVH Linyangwa says the facility would be a hub for future generations to learn how to conserve wildlife and traditions and culture.
“Many people should know this place and learn from what is happening here. Our aim is to develop this place to levels where even the government can collect taxes to enable it provide vital social services to other needy communities”.
Park Manager for Kasungu National Park, Ndaona Kumanga, cherishes the good partnership existing between the park and the GVH Linyangwa community, stressing that “communities participation in conservation is critical because the park cannot win the conservation battle alone”.
“The community indeed loves conservation and nature and is passionate about these things. They are even helping us in maintaining the fence line to restrain stray animals and crime mongers, among others.
“As a park, we will continue supporting them in order to contribute towards achieving and sustaining the ultimate objectives of their village lodge”.
GVH Chimwala, neighbouring GVH Linyangwa, hopes “to rally his subjects towards emulating the initiative by their neighbours”. His sentiments are shared by GVHs Chazolokela and Timbenao, along Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve and Majete Wildlife Reserve in Chikwawa, respectively.
“Lack of resources is a challenge standing in our way. However, we hope to use the good relations we have with our neighbors to learn from them how they are doing it,” GVH Chimwala said.
However, oblivious to GVH Timbenao, African Parks, which manages Majete Wildlife Reserve, is already supporting GVH Njereza’s community along the reserve in implementing a similar project dubbed Game Capture Community Campsite, according to Dixie Makwale, Community Extension Manager.
Makwale said the campsite generates at least MK18 million annually, an amount Majete Wildlife Reserve Association injects into various community development initiatives in GVH Njereza, Traditional Authority Kasisi and all other communities along the reserve.
“Such initiatives are indeed important. People support conservation in protected areas if they are involved and see tangible benefits through various means of getting money”.
Back at Linyangwa Conservation and Cultural Village Lodge, Chitsime surveys the surroundings and then makes a passionate appeal for more support.
“Further improvements are required here, especially having more rooms is important. Otherwise some visitors are sent back because of lack of space and we lose business. There is also the need to vigorously market this place,” he says.
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