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The protection of the flora and fauna of the Lower Zambezi Valley plays an important role in our daily operations. At Baines’ River Camp, owners, staff and guests alike make a positive contribution towards the conservation of this wildlife wilderness area in one way or another. The successful conservation efforts reflect the joint and active support from the local communities and all safari operators in this area.
Some 25 km west of Baines’ River Camp, you will find the rural villages of the Chiawa Chiefdom, home to approximately 17,000 residents. The majority of these community members are subsistence farmers, living on the poverty line with little or no access to electricity, clean running water, water-borne sewage and health-care. In areas such as this, where employment opportunities are scarce, the temptation is great to augment a monthly income with the proceeds of poaching for the growing illegal ivory trade or for bush-meat. When living on the bread-line, wild animals are generally not seen as a heritage to be protected and the word “conservation” is little valued. This, coupled with a diminishing wildlife habitat due to rapid deforestation for the production of charcoal, presents a highly complex problem for conservationists.
In order to protect the wilderness heritage of the Lower Zambezi Valley and simultaneously increase the social and economic welfare of its residents, all commercial operators and the community continue to work together for the betterment of the area as a whole.
More than 90% of the team at Baines’ River Camp originate from the greater Chiawa community, each of them proud to join us in our efforts to protect the Lower Zambezi National Park and the adjacent Game Management Areas for the benefit of future generations.
In the unfenced Zambezi Valley, human-wildlife conflict has posed a severe threat to the local farmers, with elephants, hippo and buffalo raiding their crops on a frequent basis. In order to mitigate this loss, Baines’ River Camp has worked closely together with Chieftainess Chiyaba, and put together a cooperative of 35 farmers and a team of international experts to create the first safe and sustainable local farming enterprise in the area. Ten hectares of uncultivated land in one of the villages was allocated for the benefit of this pilot project. The members of the cooperative worked the land whilst Baines’ River Camp engaged the services of the professional team, provided the materials for a solar powered electrified fence and the equipment to clear and prepare the land for the first crop. This project was initially assisted by generous external donors. Since then, Baines’ River Camp further agreed to supply the seed and fertilizer for the first three crops in order to ensure that the cooperative was ultimately viable. The Chimsambo-Mugurameno Cooperative Farm was a great success with a bumper crop of maize in its very first season. This has led to more farms with the same cooperative concept in the Chiawa Chiefdom.
The Chiawa Rural Medical Centre (or Chiawa Clinic) is run by the immensely passionate and caring Dr Charles Chuyaama and 2, sometimes 3, nurses. Together they look after the wellbeing of the local community in the Western Chiawa Game Management Area. This area spreads out over more than 2,000 square kilometres and its residents have limited to no access to electricity, running water or sewage. Public transport is unavailable, full stop. Dr Charles delivers babies, diagnoses and treats a fair share of conditions, offers family planning programs, HIV/AIDS education and keeps stats of everything and anything in terms of social facilities and medical within the community. For those who simply cannot get to the clinic, the doc gets on his motorbike for house calls up to the far reaches of the GMA. He keeps strict stock controls of medication and supplies received, and fights for his community to receive much needed and often the most basic of supplies.
We are proud members of Pack for a Purpose, an initiative that allows travelers like you to make a lasting impact in the community at your travel destination. If you save just a few kilos of space in your suitcase and take supplies for the projects we support in need, you’ll make a priceless impact in the lives of our local children and families. Please click here to see what supplies are needed for our project/projects. Visit their website and see how easy it is to support Dr Charles’ effort to look after the medical needs of the Chiawa community.
Baines’ River Camp is a platinum member of Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ). Over the years it has become clear that separate projects by individual safari operators are not nearly as effective as the combined effort of all. Led by a small, dedicated and professional team, CLZ has developed into a highly successful conservation initiative. Working closely together with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (previously ZAWA), CLZ is instrumental in the protection of the Lower Zambezi Valley as a whole, assisted by the monthly support of all safari operators in the area and generous funding from external donors.
For more information about CLZ, visit conservationlowerzambezi.org
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1 March – 30 November
1 Mar – 30 June & 1 – 30 November
1 July – 31 October
