The Easter weekend for us at Sun International Zambia was a family affair. Our hotels were booked out with visitors of all ages who enjoyed our warm, dry weather at the end of the rainy season. Apart from a host of international visitors, the Falls Resort was the destination of choice for many Lusaka guests who travelled to Livingstone for a relaxing weekend away from the hustle and bustle of the capital.

The swimming pools were full of children laughing and playing; Kamp Kwena, our children’s playground, was busy with activities like Easter egg hunts, nature walks, face painting and scrumptious food. Meanwhile the mums and dads relaxed by in the grounds or were free to go off on activities of their own knowing that the children were in safe hands.

Mwale Sisters

The days and evenings were full of entertainment with visiting musicians and our own Los Comorados and Marimba Band. Our special guests for the weekend were the Mwale Sisters. Masauko and Tiko Mwale performed on our outside stage by the Zambezi Sun pool and wowed our guests with their energetic, fun-filled performances.

When the Mwale Sisters arrived on the stage the children gathered round and sat themselves on the floor in front of the stage. The music was electric and the children started to sway to the sounds. Eventually, though, the music and songs got to them and they started to dance. They were mostly trying to copy the moves of the Mwale Sisters. If the parents thought they were going to get away with relaxing, Masauko Mwale had other ideas and pulled them onto the dance floor too.

The Mwale Sisters have only recently returned to Zambia after working in Europe for many years. Home, though, beckoned and they are now very much on the Zambian music scene. Apart from earning a living during their concerts, they are committed to the improvement of society. Like many Zambian musicians, they support concerts which promote social issues. In March they participated in a concert to promote awareness of violence, especially in the home. I am sure that Masauko and Tiko had quite an impact on the minds of the people who watched them.

At the end of their performance at the Zambezi Sun, the children were all worn out and ready for their beds. I don’t think the parents had problems getting their children to sleep that night!

Bushbuck at The Falls Resort

In December we were very surprised to see a bushbuck on the grounds of the Falls Resort. Where on earth did he come from? We had no idea. Since December we have been trying hard to get a photograph of him for our ‘Rogues Gallery’ but all attempts failed until last week, when we managed to snap him grazing in the grounds.

Bushbucks are antelopes about the size of an impala. They are usually solitary and very shy. They have acute senses of sight and hearing; whenever they see or hear something unfamiliar they will dart into the bushes and hide. Their brown coats have some narrow white stripes and small spots which give them excellent camouflage. We still have no idea where he came from as the grounds are protected by an electric fence. He may have come through it somehow. I have been told that bushbucks will get through a fence by taking a mad rush and diving through the wires. Perhaps he did that or he just wandered in through the main entrance! Alternatively, as bushbucks are excellent swimmers, he may have decided to emigrate from Zimbabwe by swimming the river in November when the water is quite low. Or perhaps he just wandered in from our park, although bushbucks have not been seen in the area for a while. Whatever the case he has now found a home with lots to eat and friendly impala, zebra and giraffe for company.

Of course, our bushbuck’s visit was caused by natural instincts, and it is likely that he was looking for a mate. He is still young with small horns, but he will want a girlfriend soon. I expect we will have to find him one from a wildlife farm. We have several farmers in the southern region of Zambia who have put parts of their farm aside exclusively for use by wild animals. Let’s hope we can find our bushbuck a friend; we don’t want to lose him. He is far too special, and clearly loves the lush vegetation on the Falls Resort!

Helmeted Terrapin

There are many things that live in our rivers and lakes of Zambia.  Apart from fish, the Falls Resort have crocodiles, crabs, snakes, hippos and lots more.  We were not surprised the other day to find some terrapins in our lake near the Zambezi Sun. 

There are several species of terrapins and tortoises in Zambia.  Tortoises are often seen crossing the road or wandering through the forests, but the terrapins are never far from water where they spend most of their time.  They are even found in the gorges below the Victoria Falls. 

When we noticed the terrapins in the lake we decided we had to know which sort it was.  We could not identify it while it was swimming as we could only see the top of its shell.  We needed to catch it and have a proper look. 

Terrapins will often come out of the water in the early hours of the morning so we kept a lookout for them and one day our Facilities Manager managed to catch one.  Using a book for reference we flicked through the pages on terrapins and tortoises.  There were only four terrapins which live in this region so it really wasn’t too difficult to decide which one it was. 

We found out that it is a Helmeted Terrapin and we knew this because, when he pulls his head into his shell, it retracts sideways so that just one eye peers out from under the shell.  The book told us that he eats just about anything from water weeds, insects and frogs.  Some have even been known to ambush birds as they come down to the water to drink.  Our terrapin was only a young one; he would only be able to catch a bird for supper when he grew up. 

He was looking at us quite warily all hunched up in his shell.  I knew he didn’t like being held so we put him back on the path to let him get back to the water.  I knew that tortoises were slow and thought that terrapins would be the same.  I wanted to take some photos of him as he plodded back across the path and into the water.  I was really quite shocked because, as soon as he was gently put down, he belted across the path, dived into the water and was gone from sight in just a few seconds. 

Luckily we know , as shy as he is, he’ll be popping up now and then to  the delight of our guests on the nature trail!

Climate Investment Fund delegates

During the second week of March we hosted a conference on climate change. The conference brought together governments and organisations working with the Climate Investment Fund. The Climate Investment Fund is coordinating funds to help countries to be prepared for the effects of climate change. The delegates came from all over the world – Tajikistan, Jamaica, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Niger, Nepal, Bolivia and several others. They all brought their experiences of changes in weather from their place in the world.

We all know that the planet is warming and that climate patterns have become unpredictable – severe floods, hurricanes, tornados and droughts. It is important that governments, when making plans for the future, include climate change in their calculations.

All the delegates who attended the conference came from countries which have poverty; countries where most of the people live off the land, but they came from widely diverse environments. Jamaica is an island and worries about storms coming in from the ocean. Tajikistan is mountainous with snow on the peaks and landslides to worry about. Bangladesh is on the coast and concerned about floods from the sea. Niger is landlocked in an arid area of West Africa which suffers from droughts. All the delegates had their different stories to tell and how it was affecting their people.

The bottom line for all governments, though, is that it is the poor who suffer the most when the weather is extreme. The Climate Investment Fund personnel urged the delegates to compare their experiences and what they were doing to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Most of the funds are used on small projects like mini electricity grids – either solar, water or wind. Some projects are developing fuel-efficient stoves. But one of the most important aspects which came out of the meeting was the necessity of disseminating information. It does not matter if you are rich or poor, if you know that a tornado is on the way, you can get out of its way. How could developing countries collect the information and how could they get it out to their people? The message from the Climate Investment Fund was that the countries had to come up with ways and means to collect the information and to get it to their people before it was too late.

The Climate Investment Fund was there to help, and we were very proud to have them as our guests at the The Falls Resort!

International Women's Day March

Whenever we have a special day in Livingstone we hold a parade. So on International Women’s Day, 8 March, female members of Sun International staff donned their special outfits, put on some sensible shoes and went to join the march through the town.

The meeting place and time was Mukuni Park at 8am. Our staff were on time, joining others who were also on time. But because this is Zambia we also have what we call Zambian Time, so others arrived late. The time waiting for the march to get started was not wasted as the ladies compared their dresses. Some of the ladies had chosen to wear traditional African dress with brightly coloured chitenges while others had come in smart suits. And then there was the younger element who came in T-shirts and trainers.

Finally the Air Force Brass Band arrived and the policemen were in place at the front and rear of the marchers and the parade could begin. The police were in place to stop the traffic as the ladies marched past and none of the drivers seemed to mind even though the parade took half an hour to pass through the town. I think everyone was amazed at the number of women who were taking part and their beauty. All the passersby stopped to watch.

Finally the parade reached the Civic Centre and spread out on the lawns to take photographs and to wait for the speeches to start. It was a happy time but then, of course, there is always a serious side.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day was: Connecting Girls, Inspiring Future, but most of the concerns from our women were typically African problems. Our society is still somewhat biased towards men. Women in politics are rare. There is still gender-based violence in homes; fewer girls get the chance of higher education. These are cultural things, and it is always hard to change a culture which is entrenched.

During the speeches most of these issues were raised and the women were told to continue to hold their heads up high and that things were changing; they had to be patient. They were told that their role in society was respected and the government was addressing their issues. The President’s wife is a much-respected doctor so we can be sure that she will work tirelessly to see that her husband fulfills his promises.

Since her move to Lilayi Elephant Nursery, Suni, the young baby elephant has settled well.

Suni and Bezi

She shares a stable and yard with Zambezi, a six month old orphan from the Lower Zambezi, who is also convalescing as he recovers from foot sores. The two young elephants are seen to be friendly at times, and can also be very boisterous taking it in turns to shove one another, especially near feeding time! Just being with other elephants Suni seems to have relaxed and as we have seen with other orphans, the social and emotional recovery plays an important part of the physical healing process.

The severe wounds inflicted to her have started to heal as the swellings are subsiding thanks to the continual efforts of Dr Harvey Kamboyi, the ZAWA vet. The horrific axe wound to her spine is now looking more pink inside the wound. Suni still does not use her back right leg. When she stands she rests it lightly on the ground, but when moving around she drags the leg around behind her. It is pitiful to watch her do this and we are constantly in disbelief that someone could inflict such injury to a vulnerable and tiny baby!

Suni

However, Suni does not give us the impression that she is suffering. She continues to eat well, now consuming 20L milk every day! And she is always calling for her milk as dinner time approaches. Despite dragging her back leg she is moving with ease and does not make sounds indicating pain. We are sure she is feeling some discomfort but over the past week she has begun to sleep more soundly and restfully laying down in a more relaxed position than before. With the daily physiotherapy Suni is undergoing, we hope that she will continue to improveand will start to use the leg again as the wound heals along her spine.

For now she is eating and sleeping well and we are all hopeful she is on the road to recovery!

The Falls Garden

The Falls Resort have a small space where they grow roses for decoration; grow vegetables hydroponically; make worm compost and tea; grow vegetable seedlings for our community projects and grow herbs for our chefs. It all has to go on cheek-by-jowl in an area at the back of the Royal Livingstone.

Really intensive use of the land works amazingly well.

Our roses are right next to our hydroponic garden, a community project, where we grow tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, peppers and other vegetables. The hydroponic garden is enclosed in a monkey-proof fence, but this does not stop the insects going about their work. The insects flit around from one plant to another pollinating as they go.

Around the roses we grow tagetes which is a type of marigold. These flowers are pretty but they are not there just to look nice; they are there to do a job. The tagetes family has fantastic plants for attracting the right insects for pollination. At the same time, they deter the nasty beasties like eelworms which eat the roots of some plants. Mixing the flowers with some chilies and garlic then soaking in hot water makes a great spray for the vegetables to keep off whitefly. We never use chemicals on our gardens at the Falls Resort.

A few yards away from the hydroponic garden is a shed where we house our thousands of worms. The worms are digesting all our kitchen waste making worm compost and worm tea (liquid compost). The worm farm is another community project and the members of the project come daily to tend to their worms and then they sell their produce of tea and compost to the Resort. The roses are particularly fond of worm tea.

Not far away is our herb garden where we grow hundreds of herbs for use in our kitchens. The herbs love to grow in worm compost. On the other side of the hydroponics we have a vegetable seedling nursery where we raise from seed all the plants needed by our community projects in the town and at the Resort – tomatoes, cabbages, onions.

This garden area of the Falls Resort is only small but a busy one for our community workers in the mornings. It is a hive of activity as they get on with their jobs making it a very special place, which guests love to visit!

Our rescued baby elephant, Sunny, has been renamed “Suni” – a name far more befitting a young lady elephant! She is presently stable mates at Camp Phoenix with another rescued baby elephant, Zambezi, and doing far better in the company of other elephants, showing real improvement since her rescue.

Suni

As Rachael from the Elephant Orphanage Project says “she has a fantastic appetite and will, and is a strong little fighter”, which all of us are thrilled to hear. The vet, Dr Harvey, feels her stitches may be ready to come out in a couple of weeks, which is wonderful given her horrendous injuries. Although Suni still holds the leg on the side lamely and is not putting weight on it, her carers are giving her ‘elephant physio’ and manipulating it. Pleasingly she has shown some response to stimulus and it also seems the wound site is bothering her a bit, which she had no feeling in before. Initially her injured leg was cold, as if there was no or little blood flow, and now it is warm. So these are all really good signs.

We know however that for damage like this to repair it will be a very slow and long recovery, but as long as she is not suffering we know that Rachael and her team will do all they can to enable this and give her the second chance she so desperately deserves!

Wonderful news indeed!

Our orphaned elephant is a girl and about 4 months old.  We have nicknamed her Sunny.  Now she is in Lusaka, having been flown there on her very own chartered flight.

Camp Phoenix, the Elephant Orphanage, sent down one of their keepers, Kelvin.  Kelvin stayed by Sunny’s side until the plane came to fetch her.  Royal Air Charters, a company which supports Camp Phoenix, offered their plane for the special delivery.  Sport Beattie arrived on the flight with Harvey, the senior vet from Zambian Wildlife.  They quickly assessed her condition and felt that she was remarkably well considering the ordeal that she had been through.

Sport and Harvey leapt into action upon their arrival at the resort, with a view to moving Sunny as quickly as possible to Lusaka so that they could care for her properly.  Without wasting time, Harvey administered a tranquilizer and Sunny fell asleep.  Her feet were lightly bound to stop her injuring herself if she woke up and she was then rolled onto a cargo net.

Six men carried Sunny on the cargo net and placed her gently in the vehicle on a mattress.  They then drove off to the airport with Zambia Wildlife Officers to make sure that she passed through airport formalities with no delays.  Time, of course, was of the essence.  The tranquilizer would last for two hours and they wanted to be in Lusaka by the time she woke up.

The response to Sunny’s plight was amazing.  Guests at the hotel donated over US$2,000 for her food and upkeep which will be given to Camp Phoenix.  Only two days after finding Sunny alone by the Sun International Zambia resort fence, she was now in ‘intensive care’ with Camp Phoenix.  We know that Sport and Harvey and the rest of their team will do whatever they can to keep her alive and to give her a happy life.

As Sport said, Baby elephants are extremely fragile at this age.   Apart from suffering stress at the loss of their family, they can also have ‘elephant illnesses’.  We will do everything we can and we know that she will be cheered when she meets our other young elephants.  She will feel at home.  And these elephants will be her new family.

Sport thanked Sun International guests for their amazing support and hoped that the Falls Resort could help in future if similar circumstances arose.  Of course, I said, we were happy to have played a small part in Sunny’s rescue!

Case Study at The Falls Resort

The Falls Resort project began in September 2008 when Sun International offered its support to a community organisation called Care to Care. The non-profit organisation had 35 members in 2007. HIV/AIDS had brought them together. As their main aim was to find ways to grow vegetables that would provide increased nutrition for their members, they needed to learn how to grow food. Inspired by their commitment, Sun International funded the project‟s expansion.

Widows, entrepreneurs and blind members joined the original 35. Collectively, the project has numerous partners, represented by Sun International, Care to Care,
ASNAPP, (Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural African Plant Products, a USAID-funded NGO), the University of Stellenbosch, Top Turf and FullCycle.

We set up Phase 1 of the earthworm farm in November 2008. A year later we increased its capacity by adding 30 more earthworm-farm units. The farm is producing 300 litres of liquid fertiliser a week, and 900kg of vermicompost a month. The liquid and solid fertilisers are used in the hotel’s pot plants, herb garden and rose garden. The rest is sold to other members of the project, who produce 80 per cent of the fruit and vegetables used at the hotels. The earthworm fertilisers have replaced all inorganic fertilisers used at the hotel.

I went to visit the resort in February 2010 to do follow-up training and set up Phase 2. Their worm farm is in a rustic hut beside the rose garden and the greenhouse.

Although its proximity to the equator makes Zambia hot, the 600 000 earthworms are well protected, kept cool and moist under thick layers of dampened strips of newspaper.

We spent two days training at the resort. It was wonderful to awaken to the sound of the Victoria Falls thundering over the rocks. I was eager to find out how the herb and rose gardens were responding to the earthworm fertilisers. One afternoon I walked to the Royal Livingstone to meet with the executive chef, Alexander Coupy. He was busy preparing the afternoon tea. What a feast. Tea is served in a huge room with books, carpets, couches you could sleep in and memorabilia in honour of Dr Livingstone. Stacks of china and silver plates contained macaroons; pear, strawberry and gooseberry tarts; marble cakes; chocolate éclairs; chocolate cakes; lemon meringues and lovely little sandwiches.

Meeting with Chef Coupy

I was apprehensive meeting with Chef Coupy. I knew he was busy and time was precious. However, I wanted to hear how he used the herbs and if he had noticed a difference in their flavour since their worm-tea feeds. Alexander is French. You can tell from the way he speaks that his soufflés are marvellous. You can also tell from the way his tiny tarts seem to smile at you from the plate that he loves food.

Meeting with Musowe Davis

After a hasty but positive chat with him I went to visit Musowe Davis, who tends the 40 bushes that make up the rose garden. Musowe looks like he was born in a garden. He is gentle and moves just as a daisy does following the sun. His friends have named him “the rose guy‟. He has more than 50 roses in his home garden. People come from all over to enjoy them.

“I discovered roses ten years ago when I was studying in Kitwe town,‟ he told me. “I walked into the Agricultural Science College and saw my first one. It was maroon. I fell in love. Maroon-coloured roses are still my favorite. When I look at the colours, I feel happy.

“You have to grow them from cuttings. I always cut the stem at an angle to prevent stem rot. I take very thick branches, about one to two feet in length, and place them in water for three to four days. Then I move them into bags with 20 per cent vermicompost and the rest potting soil. At the first sign of new life, I plant them in the garden. Sometimes rose leaves appear yellow, a sign they are lacking nutrients. Now that I use the vermitea the leaves are always green and the colours of the flowers are bright and beautiful.‟

Musowe wandered off to prune some dead flowers from his plants. After a few minutes I could barely notice him behind the large rose bushes he cared so much about. I turned and walked to the herb garden to meet Stain Musingaila.

Meeting with Stain Musingaila

Stain runs the entire programme. He is extremely excited to see how healthy the plants are, how quickly the seedlings grow and how green the herbs are. The project is managed like a business and generates income for all members. The vegetables are sold to the hotels at competitive prices, and the hotels also save on transporting produce from Johannesburg and Lusaka.

We ended our visit by throwing a layer of vermicompost on top of two by two metres of hardened soil. It took us 15 minutes. We all sang as we worked. We did not plant or water the ground. In three days, we had seedlings produced from the waste in the kitchens. There were enough seedlings to share among 23 members of the team.