Central African Wilderness Safaris (CAWS), owners of the iconic Mvuu Lodge in Malawi‘s Liwonde National Park, are thrilled to announce an exciting partnership with Lessons in Conservation (LiC). Providing guests with some of the best safari experiences Malawi, Central African Wilderness Safaris are also owners of four other properties which include: Mvuu Camp also in Liwonde National Park, Chelinda Lodge and Chelinda Camp both in Nyika National Park, and Heuglin’s Lodge in Lilongwe.
Lessons in Conservation is an educational non-profit dedicated to raising awareness and promoting the preservation of biodiversity and natural ecosystems through engaging children of all backgrounds and ages in classroom activities that teach of the importance of conservation. Equally as important, LiC ensures that these children travel to the areas they are learning about, to witness first hand the heritage they have inherited and what a future working in conservation and tourism might look like.
Central African Wilderness Safaris shared the news alongside some thoughts on why this new step is important for their company.
“Whilst we can all get carried away with the romantic rituals of the safari lifestyle, it can be difficult to remain in touch with the harsh, complex realities of a fruitful coexistence between humans and wildlife. One that will ensure Africa’s wilderness areas remain beneficial to and nurtured by the generations of tomorrow. One that promotes inclusion of Africa’s wildlife and her people. Now is the time we need to put the work in to guarantee that the custodians of this land remain its beneficiaries as well as its nurturers.
“At CAWS, we believe that it is impossible to talk about wildlife, ecosystems, biodiversity and conservation without including the human element. As one of the world’s poorest countries, with a dominantly rural and rapidly increasing population, protecting – and justifying – wild spaces is becoming increasingly challenging. Today, the communities across Malawi are mainly reliant on finite reserves of charcoal, water and fish. The mountains, National Parks, water sources and forests of our beautiful country are merely competing with other forms of land use. Tourism is the way forward for their long-term protection and sustainable survival. Therefore, working in the wonderful protected areas of Malawi is a privilege, a responsibility, and a leap of faith.”
An exciting collaboration between LiC and CAWS takes place this September. Family members Emma and Wesley Badger will share skills and passion on an epic expedition from Cape Town to Kilimanjaro – where education will be the focus – reaching 100s of school children residing on fringes of wildlife areas. Mvuu was privileged to host LiC twice over the past year.
The Malawi tour operator is at the forefront of providing purposeful safari experiences for their guests with a strong ethos on conservation. The team shared their excitement for the future and the expedition ahead.
“It’s an honour to play a part in cementing their legacy, both in Malawi and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. There are great synergies between the CAWS goals for education and those of LiC, and we look forward to a long and successful relationship.
Along the road from Cape to Kili, we hope to change the lives of 1000 children – visiting schools on the periphery of some of the continent’s most spectacular wildlife hotspots. Through education and inclusion, we have to laydown the stepping stones for better accessibility to wildlife conservation and, therefore, the jobs this thriving sector has to offer for Africa’s people.”