Micaia - NDZOU Camp appeal

NDZOU CAMP from Micaia

Ndzou Camp is a rare thing: a forest lodge that is not only staffed by local community members, but majority owned by the community too (60% owned by the Mpunga community of Moribane, Chimanimani – on the border with Zimbabwe, 40% by Eco-Micaica Ltd.) The Camp is an eco-lodge with 30 beds and camping, that provides 12 local people with full time jobs and generates money for community projects. Set up in 2011, the Camp not only provides economic benefit to the community, but it also serves as a vital bulwark against deforestation. 

Ndzou Camp sits in a forested area, with incredible plant biodiversity – and rare forest elephants. Sadly, the pressures of population growth, illegal logging, fires, and climate damage, are combining to threaten the forests. Deforestation is widespread, but at least in the hinterland of Ndzou Camp, the Mpunga community has helped protect the forest and maintain the elephants’ habitat.

The Camp was Micaia’s first social investment in Mozambique. It has changed the lives of its workers. It has been a shining example of community-private sector partnership. For ten years, it has been the focus of efforts to find a balance between conservation and livelihoods. Now though, Ndzou Camp faces a serious challenge. Covid-19 hit the business hard. The Camp lost 85% of its turnover in 2020 and keeping on the staff team meant that all reserves were used up. Those reserves had been built over 2 years and were intended to invest in a much-needed new water system. 

The Camp is 100km from Chimoio, it runs on solar energy, and its water comes from a spring. Sadly, the business cannot grow without a more reliable water supply. If we can raise the money to install a borehole and pump, it will not only benefit the Camp, but also the families who live in the forest around the Camp. If we can help grow the business, more jobs will be created, and Ndzou Camp will continue to support efforts to protect the area’s vital biodiversity.