The villages and communities on the concession receive meat from the animals which are hunted on safari. In 2019, more than 17 tons of meat was delivered to the local community. This not only provides people with a vital source of protein, but also creates an incentive for local communities to conserve the wildlife, ensuring that they continue to prosper from it in the future.
Safaris de Mozambique employs approximately 50 people during the hunting season. The average bread-winner to dependant ratio is 1:8, which means that on average the company supports 400 people directly through employment.
Safaris de Mozambique has committed to an ongoing drilling project affectionately known as the Water is life Project, to provide local communities with fresh water in areas where it is desperately needed by the local community. Once boreholes have been completed, they are equipped with solar pumps. Using a thumper drilling rig, the company works together with the conservation committee and local leaders to decide where the rig will move next.
To date, assistance to these communities has included the building and equipping of schools and an administrative centre, and the drilling of boreholes to provide villages with potable water. Motorbikes have been given to the local police by the company, to assist in their efforts with fighting crime and wildlife crime.
Safaris de Mozambique is extremely proud to offer emergency medical transport assistance to villagers within the local community. Almost every day there are cases of malaria and human wildlife conflict which result in a member of the community needing to be transported to the nearby clinic.
The company runs 5 day courses for kids from schools within the local community. In a collaborative effort with school teachers, parents and leaders from the community, kids are taught general knowledge, survival skills and basic environmental principles in a fun environment.
Bringing benefits to the community in terms of infrastructure is a vital part of our ongoing efforts. Safaris de Mozambique assists the local community with the construction and maintenance of primary and secondary schools in the local area. The drilling and equipping of boreholes with solar pumping technologies to provide freshwater access for children and local villages. The construction and maintenance of football fields for kids
The company works together with the local authorities to assist local people with problem animals. This involves the deployment of the anti-poaching unit to high conflict zones, and in severe cases the company assists with a professional hunter to destroy the animals, however this is the absolute last resort.
Some examples of current projects to avoid the destruction of problem animals include the provision of water points near the river in order to provide communities with an alternative to bathing in crocodile infested water, the provision of means to deter problem animals, and an innovative project to deter crop raiding elephants with beehives.
Kutandara is the Shona verb, which can be translated as,” to hang out”. The best way to solve any problem in our experience, is to sit around the fire, or under a tree where you can tandara properly! The Kutandara committee was formed in order to build a solid bridge for communications and co-operation between SDM and the community.
The committee is the first point of contact for villagers who need help with emergencies medical transport. They can then effectively relay the information to the main camp so that a driver and a vehicle can be dispatched as quickly as possible. In addition to this, the committee works closely with the company in the coordination of community projects. This initiative has proved to be a great success in solving numerous problems in the area. Effective communications is essential in any relationship!
Email: simon@rodger.biz
Tel: +27826950024 / +258860651068
Tete province, Mozambique
Anti-poaching, hunting, and community updates
