Desert & Delta Safaris: Chobe Savanna Lodge - Kasenu Village Boat Project Completed

The 13th of January was a very special day for the people of Kasenu Village in the Kasika Conservancy, Eastern Caprivi. As a result of donations left by guests of Chobe Savanna Lodge, they were able to purchase a brand new fibreglass boat and a 15hP engine. The boat will be used to transport pensioners to collect their pension money and as a taxi for not only Kasenu but also the surrounding villages. This is the first permanent taxi on the Chobe River in the Kasika Conservancy.

(Chobe Savanna Lodge Management meeting with the Kasenu Village to hand over the donation)

Chobe Savanna Lodge supported a number of villages since October 2003 with various projects that improve general living conditions without changing the traditional nature of the villages. Managers of Chobe Savanna Lodge, Johann and Anja van Schalkwyk, continued this objective when they started working at the lodge in June 2005.

Since March 2006, Chobe Savanna Lodge has taken its guests to Kasenu for cultural visits. The villagers explain to the guests how they catch fish, fix fishing nets, dry fish, build traditional mud houses, medicinal uses of plants in the village as well as day to day activities in the village. Once the tour ends, everybody meets in the boma under the big baobab tree and guests are invited to join in the traditional singing and dancing.

In November 2007, John Sepiso, assistant manager at Chobe Savanna Lodge, and Ester Magwaza, from Kasenu, made their way to Lusaka to purchase the boat. Transporting the boat to Livingstone wasn’t too difficult as many empty trucks offer lifts to those that require them. The trip from Livingstone to Mambova proved to be more difficult – the only vehicle available was a small pick up vehicle that the 6 metre long boat did not fit onto properly. As a result, as they reached Mambova, the driver informed John that the fare was increased by K100.000, which made it just as expensive as the trip from Lusaka to Livingstone! Sekoma Island Lodge (a sister lodge of Chobe Savanna Lodge) towed the boat to Kasane, where Chobe Savanna Lodge then picked it up. The engine arrived shortly after the boat and Chobe Game Lodge (another lodge in the DDS group) assisted with the installation thereof.

While waiting for the boat to arrive, Martin Silimbani (an inhabitant of Kasenu) was taught how to drive a boat and had to get to know the Chobe River. He was also taught how to maintain the boat engine as this would also be one of his responsibilities. Susan Matomola (also from Kasenu) was given lessons in basic accounting as she was elected by the village as the taxi bookkeeper. By the time the boat was ready to make its first trip, all the necessary training was completed. All profit made by the taxi will go to the village. The village has decided that their next project will be a community vegetable garden and are busy drawing up a proposal.
On behalf of Kasenu and Chobe Savanna Lodge, Johann and Anja thank all the guests and fundraisers that donated money toward the project as well as everybody else that was involved in making this project possible.