What does it take to turn a dream into reality? In the case of one eco beach lodge helping to lift a community out of poverty, it took the vision and determination of a young British couple.
Seven years ago, an idealistic couple launched a high-end ecotourism venture in a remote part of northern Mozambique. Their aim: to use the tourist pound to fund a series of projects to alleviate poverty in the local community.
Income from the guests to Guludo Beach Lodge is channelled into poverty-reduction work through the charitable arm, the Nema Foundation, which also raises its own funds through donations.
Guludo village was chose because of its extreme poverty, 29 per cent infant mortality and 38-year life expectancy. Annual food shortages linked to late or failing rainfall causes severe malnutrition in children, hindering their physical and mental development and leaving them vulnerable to disease. In 2003 the village was haunted by dull-eyed, malnourished, pot-bellied children.
Now, thanks to the determination and vision of Amy and Neal Carter-James, a transformation has taken place in Guludo. The village is now a joyful place, filled with well-nourished, bright-eyed smiling children. More than 15,000 people have access to safe drinking water, 550 children receive a nutritious school meal daily, 10,000-plus women and children are sleeping under mosquito nets, 79 secondary school scholarships have been awarded, school attendance is up by 350 per cent and a team of heal volunteers run nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, malaria and HIV workshops in each village household.
For the first time Guludo’s children can build a further for themselves.
But it’s not been about handouts: the philosophy of Amy and Neal is to empower the community to shape their own lives. Nema’s success has been spectacular over the past two years and it now works with 12 villages – including Guludo.
Guludo Lodge itself has also been transformed: the from tented original to a new lodge built almost exclusively with local materials, most available literally within a stone’s throw. The lodge has been designed by award-winning architects Cullum & Nightingale to blend luxury with a mix of traditional and contemporary styles and with the highest of environmental and social integrity.
Each of the nine bandas (rooms) has bee carefully designed so guests can watch the sun spectacularly rise over neighbouring Rolas Island from the comfort of their own, extravagant king-sized bed. Only the occasional monkey playing in your hammock can disturb the peace!
Favourite activities including diving, beach archery, excursions and hammock-time, and the villagers v staff ang guests football match is a major event.
The lodge undoubtedly attracts more discerning travellers, people who love to spend time getting to know the local community. Very often they will be inspired, once home, to raise funds for Nema. More guests have meant more income. More income, more work for the foundation.
‘Things have really taken off in the past 18 months,’ says Amy. ‘We have been able to implement far more than we imagined, which has had a profound impact on health, education and water in particular.’
Nema has also helped villagers set up enterprise groups; one of the most successful has been manufacturing and selling ceramic tiles. In the beginning these were used by the lodge, but as word as spread, so has the market for them.
More shops have sprung up – where there were just tow, now there are 15, as more and more people find ways to sell things to the lodge and its guests. Local customs and ceremonies have been revived and now occur more frequently due to increased village prosperity. Sixty women work in the new Guludo Craft Centre which was opened last month after visited by Mozambique’s First Lady.
Guludo as been showcased as a best-practice tourism lodge byt the United Nations. The Mozambican ministry of tourism also uses it as an example and a benchmark for other tourism operators. ‘Guludo has raised the responsible tourism bar in Mozambique and opened the government’s eyes to its try potential in the fight against poverty and environmental degradation,’ says Amy.
Amy, 29, was just 22 when they started; Neal just two years older. ‘We didn’t know an awful lot,’ admits Amy. ‘We had the dream and the vision and we believed it would work, but had no idea how challenging it would be.
‘We knew Guludo had massive potential but didn’t quite believe how far just a little money could go. For example, just £10 can pay for a workshop in food education for half a dozen women. The impact of that is considerable.’
Nema means ‘extreme joy when unsolvable problems are resolved’. Adds Amy. ‘We were determined it was going to work. Failure was never an option.’
r:travel Magazine, November 2009
