Ndzou Camp is a very special place. It sits on a hill in the forest of Moribane, part of the buffer zone of the Chimanimani National Park. The forest is rich in biodiversity, with many endemic and rare species. In the buffer zone in general, population expansion and investment in agriculture has led to rapid degradation, but Ndzou Camp has helped stem the tide, at least in Moribane.

Ndzou Camp is special because it is 60% owned by the host community of Mpunga. Every night that a visitor spends in the Camp means money for the community fund. Also, all members of the staff team other than Nelson, the Manager (who is from elsewhere in the province), are from the community. Together, despite having no formal training, they run a professional operation and produce wonderful food. This is recent feedback from one happy visitor

‘Please kindly accept our most sincere thanks and appreciation to your entire staff for the amazing hospitality during our recent stay at Ndzou. We could basically find fault with nothing from the welcome received, amazing meals and they simply couldn’t do enough to assist.’

Ndzou Camp has gone through some tough times, including war, the Idai cyclone, and Covid. At times, the business has struggled, but with Micaia’s help, it has survived. And now, as tourists return to Mozambique, the Camp is enjoying a period of growth. But there is a problem. Water. The Camp relies on solar energy to pump water 187m from a spring. It works when the sun is shining but when the weather is bad of the Camp is full, it runs out of water. The Camp is losing business as a result. Tired, hot and stressed from a long journey on bad roads, visitors expect a hot shower, only to find on offer a bucket of heated water. Most people are very understanding, but we sense their disappointment.

The good news is, we do have a solution! We have found a local water engineering company that has a drill capable of reaching 300m. Tests conducted by the company a few weeks ago revealed excellent levels of humidity, and we are now confident that it is feasible to have a borehole. With a borehole, not only would we solve Ndzou Camp’s water problems, we would also be able to supply irrigation to a long-planned community horticulture garden nearby. This will supply the Camp and sell surplus in a roadside market (next to Ndzou Camp), creating additional livelihood opportunities for local families.

The challenge now is that we need to raise $15,000. This will pay for the drilling, the pipes to take the water to all rooms, a solar pump, and the irrigation system.

Micaia has set up a special appeal for the Ndzou Camp water system. The link to the appeal is https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/Micaia-NdzouCamp

Every contribution is welcome and 100% of all donations will go to the appeal.