Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Norman Carr Safaris, Zambia

Who They Are

Norman Carr Safaris consists of Kapani Lodge, an eight-room luxury lodge  adjacent to the South Luangwa National Park, and four seasonal luxurious bush camps, dotted in isolated areas of the park, each with its own personality (some tented, some built with reeds). Even though they are called bush camps, they are completely rebuilt every season, all en-suite with

Elephant Walk

open-air showers and no attention to detail spared. Unlike many camps in the area, which have to be temporary structures because of heavy rain November through May, Kapani Lodge is open year-round. Game drives and boat activities are the norm at Kapani, walks (from camp to camp) or drives are offered at the bush camps.

Mchenja Bush Camp

What They Are Doing

Education

Norman Carr started the Kapani School Project in 1986 to assist a “casual” school already there. Guests are invited to visit the school (if they express a desire), and thereby encouraging them to make donations. The meet the teachers and the children and invariably leave donations. The company provides all administration and support, and employ 1.5 people to run the administration sideof the project. The primary aim is to provide education (including books and clothing) to local children who would otherwise have none.

Yosefe School

NCS also provides the infrastructure for Yosefe School, between Mfuwe and the park, and over the years has built three classroom blocks, six houses for teacher accommodation,  fully stocked library, ablution blocks, a laboratory and a borehole that provides drinking water for the whole community

In addition, Yosefe also has a tree-planting project that is managed by NCS at the school although maintained by the children. There are a couple of “plantations” at Yosefe School, and in the past NCS has given trees to the children to plant in their villages, although this has been dormant for a couple of years.

Medicine

NCS supports (along with about ten other safari operators in the Mfuwe area) the Kakumbi Clinic Project, which brings out a doctor from overseas for up to six months and provides healthcare to the entire community. The project also maintains the local clinic and provides medicines.

Wildlife

NCS is a corporate sponsor and member of the South Luangwa Conservation Society (SLCS), which works in conjunction with the Zambian Parks Authorities to protect and conserve the natural resources. The society funds an anti-poaching team to patrol the Park, and who are trained, fitted with uniforms and anti-poaching necessities, housed and fed, and are called on whenever there are snared animals that need assistance, when they dart them, remove snares and doctor the animals.

Other

The society also manages a community school in the Mfuwe area. In order to help locals protect their crops from elephants, the society grows chillies that they then teach farmers how to use as a deterrent.

In Their Own Words

Norman Carr

“Ever since Norman Carr first started operating safaris in the Luangwa valley back in 1950, the concept of managing the wildlife and the ecosystem in conjunction with, and for the benefit of, its traditional owners — the local communities — is something that has been very important to our company. He was a pioneer in this approach to conservation and wildlife tourism, and the company is proud to uphold his legacy.“

Norman Carr Safaris consists of Kapani Lodge, an eight-room luxury lodge adjacent to the South Luangwa National Park, and four seasonal luxurious bush camps, dotted in isolated areas of the park, each with its own personality (some tented, some built with reeds). Even though they are called bush camps, they are completely rebuilt every season, all en-suite with open-air showers and no attention to detail spared. Unlike many camps in the area, which have to be temporary structures because of heavy rain November through May, Kapani Lodge is open year-round. Game drives and boat activities are the norm at Kapani, walks (from camp to camp) or drives are offered at the bush camps.

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