Selous Impala Camp Responsible Tourism

Mloka Village Trips

Village trips can be arranged upon request, not everyone goes but if you stay 4 nights or more you can have more of a chance to visit the village for an afternoon or morning. Mornings are better as you have a little more time to explore and you can visit the school. A few families have gone with their children and taken them to the school and the children can see how lucky they are to have their own desk and exercise book at home. The school has about 700 pupils and only 10 teachers so the teachers move from class room to class room while the children wait patiently to be taught. One problem of lack of teachers is the low salary they receive from the government and it is also not regarded as a more prestigious profession. A teacher can earn the same as a plumber or cleaner and the job is obviously more difficult so people opt for the easier option. Hopefully the government will realize this and try to increase the wage of a teacher and its credibility. There is a donation box at the school and people often leave something in there (people usually exchange their dollars for Tanzanian shillings in the camp).
The dispensary is the place where villagers come to see the ‘doctor’ or get medical supplies, the building is currently in a very poor condition but thanks to a generous visitor funding has been given to improve this facility. Once the funding has come through we will start to purchase the materials from town and get the builders involved- this will also give employment opportunities to some of the villagers. Unemployment levels are quite high. Hopefully in the future if we receive more funding we can build more water pumps more inland so the children do not have to walk many kilometers per day to fetch water and instead can focus on an education in the school.

This is quite a humbling experience for people from the western world who are used to live with readily available electricity and water and a real infrastructure. It is inspiring to see how people can do so much with so little.

Chloe and the Impala Team

(Chloe is trying to start educational trips from Mloka Village, which is just outside Mtemere Gate at the Selous Game Reserve, into the Reserve itself. Most of the children and many of the adults in the village have never seen a wild animal. This has already been promoted in the Ruaha, where educational schemes in the villages surrounding the National Park have been very beneficial, in terms of enlisting mutual support between the conservationists and the people in the area.)


SELOUS IMPALA RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

October 2008
The village dispensary Mwaseni Village Dispensary Chloe of Selous Impala Camp is organising help for this nearby village dispensary which is in dire need of help! It needs painting, rewiring and work on the roof and permission has now been given from the Village Chief to go ahead using funds raised by Chloe. Here are more pictures of the building before rehabilitation:
November 2008
Mloka Village Trips Village trips can be arranged upon request, not everyone goes but if you stay 4 nights or more you can have more of a chance to visit the village for an afternoon or morning. Mornings are better as you have a little more time to explore and you can visit the school. A few families have gone with their children and taken them to the school and the children can see how lucky they are to have their own desk and exercise book at home. The school has about 700 pupils and only 10 teachers so the teachers move from class room to class room while the children wait patiently to be taught. One problem of lack of teachers is the low salary they receive from the government and it is also not regarded as a more prestigious profession. A teacher can earn the same as a plumber or cleaner and the job is obviously more difficult so people opt for the easier option. Hopefully the government will realize this and try to increase the wage of a teacher and its credibility. There is a donation box at the school and people often leave something in there (people usually exchange their dollars for Tanzanian shillings in the camp). The dispensary is the place where villagers come to see the ‘doctor’ or get medical supplies, the building is currently in a very poor condition but thanks to a generous visitor funding has been given to improve this facility. Once the funding has come through we will start to purchase the materials from town and get the builders involved- this will also give employment opportunities to some of the villagers. Unemployment levels are quite high. Hopefully in the future if we receive more funding we can build more water pumps more inland so the children do not have to walk many kilometers per day to fetch water and instead can focus on an education in the school. This is quite a humbling experience for people from the western world who are used to live with readily available electricity and water and a real infrastructure. It is inspiring to see how people can do so much with so little. Chloe and the Impala Team (Chloe is trying to start educational trips from Mloka Village, which is just outside Mtemere Gate at the Selous Game Reserve, into the Reserve itself. Most of the children and many of the adults in the village have never seen a wild animal. This has already been promoted in the Ruaha, where educational schemes in the villages surrounding the National Park have been very beneficial, in terms of enlisting mutual support between the conservationists and the people in the area.)

SELOUS IMPALA RESPONSIBLE TOURISM