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ECOTOURISM AT MNEMBA ISLAND LODGE,
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Mnemba Island Lodge is committed to CC Africa’s core principle: Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the people.
CC Africa’s focus: Community equity, income generation, education and health care are a primary concern. In consultation with community organisations such as the Africa Foundation – originally founded by CC Africa, now a not-for-profit rural development organisation – Mnemba Island Lodge has contributed significantly towards improving the prosperity and living conditions of the local Kijini and Matemwe communities of nearby Zanzibar.
A major conservation coup for CC Africa was the declaration of Mnemba Island and its surrounding reefs as a Marine Conservation Area (MIMCA). This unique partnership between the local communities, the Zanzibar government and CC Africa was established to protect the fragile coral reefs and marine life. A daily levy for all water activities is deposited into a community fund, demonstrating that protecting the marine environment can create revenue.
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MNEMBA ISLAND LODGE COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENTS:
- USD27 155 invested in community projects
- Employment opportunities provided
- Windmill at Kijini supplies the village of 2600 people
- Shamba (vegetable garden) at Kijini
- Classrooms built at both Kijini and Matemwe Schools
- Library built at Matemwe School and books donated
- Doctor’s house constructed
- Numerous Hippo Water Rollers (portable water containers) donated
- Ablution facilities built
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Ecotourism in Africa: Our guests play a critical role in helping CC Africa realise our dream and vision: to create a model in wise land management, integrating international travellers and rural people to their mutual benefit and demonstrating that wildlife can be preserved on a sustainable basis by all.
Positive Health Programme:
CC Africa strongly believes in its people and was recently listed as one of three finalists in the Investor in People category of the 2005 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The October 2005 edition of Africa Geographic featured an article on AIDS and conversation, and highlighted the activities and
programmes that various African companies are implementing in order to increase AIDS awareness and, in doing so, empower the communities taking
care of some of the world's richest wilderness regions.
"Probably the most attractive program ... is that of CC Africa... CC Africa launched a Positive Health program in 2003 and in April and May last year ran two seven-day courses.... Their approach focuses on home-based care, gardens, counseling techniques and gender issues.... The health of the
habitat is critical to the health of the individuals in it.... The conservation industry is uniquely positioned to take the treatment of
HIV/AIDS in radically new directions.... Benefits [of the program] include acquiring 'hard skills' such as maintaining clean water, producing food, and home-based methods of dealing with illnesses that are not life threatening.... It takes only the will of ecologically minded people to make
sure that the wild places are not lost."
Africa Geographic, October 2005
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