Dispatch 16 - Hope for the Future
The sceptics claimed that Chief Gumbi, the successful land claimant of large tracks of private game reserves close to the Jozini Dam would use his returned land for cattle and homesteads. They were proved wrong and 80% of the land has been kept for conservation. Some of the lodges are now managed by the World Wildlife Fund, and the one where we set up our expedition base camp, has been given over to - Ndhlovuyadludla - Diggs Pascoe, a well-known Zululand conservationist and bush character who runs the Space for Elephants Foundation with great passion. The lodge will be turned into the Chief Gumbi Wildlife College, all part of the larger Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area that stretches across into Swaziland.
Diggs and his team treat us royally - there is a giant potjie on the fire, and next day a wonderful community event hosted by the Chief at the new soccer field at Myekeni Primary School which only that morning had been completed by Adolf Waidelich and his team of adventurers from 4x4MegaWorld. The Boundless Soccer Challenge is a hit, starting with the field being divided into four and the - professionals' running a soccer clinic for the little kids. Then he big game starts. First up is the Thanda Royal Zulu Academy against Thanda Lions. Commentator Mahlembehlembe in sunglasses and full Zulu traditional regalia sits microphone in hand on the roofrack of the Grindrod branded Landy. 20 minutes a side - it's a draw. The Zulu Mamas kikizela and twirl their colourful umbrellas. Mahlembehlembe starts to sniff and sneeze. 'Too much dust,' he says, "I'm getting the flue." Two headache pills and a swig of cough syrup and he's into the second game: Paradise against Barcelona on a soccer field that just a few days ago, was a piece of bush. The final whistle goes - 1-0 to Paradise.
Then it's the presentation of Rotary box libraries that had been packed by school children from Centurus Colleges. Each box library of educational books is housed in a strong blue steel trunk that have been sponsored by our friends from Alert Steel who care for the people of Africa. What made the day even more special as the handing over of three new Rotary funded classrooms - what a great day, an important one for the expedition's link to nature, culture and community.
