Make Me Smile – Summer 24 News

Current news from
Malimba School & Conservation South Luangwa
SUMMER 2024

Dear Make Me Smile Supporters

Please read on for a long overdue update from our projects in South Luangwa.

MALIMBA COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Pupil numbers at Malimba School continue to increase, currently there are 599 pupils, 313 boys and 286 girls, with more pupils due to enroll. Grade seven final exam results were very good last year. Malimba scored number 1 in the district and 4th position at Province level.

Although funds are always limited the school has manged to host a number of sporting events an arts festival and a language fair.

Recent school holidays were shortened as opening for the first term was shorted due to a country wide outbreak of cholera.

We are also pleased to let you know that Noah Banda, has joined the school as a Deputy Head. Noah has a bachelor’s degree and previously worked at Mnkhanya Community School.

Our wonderful headmistress Marth Ezeliya Piri, given an award as best performing head teacher at grade 7 level. She is due to retire at 60 but in the lead up to this, she has started her own chicken farming venture to help support her grandchildren who are in the early school grades.

Regular donations, however small, really help us to provide more reliable funding, and please visit our website for more information

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CONSERVATION SOUTH LUANGWA

CSL celebrated their 20 year anniversary an organisation that has grown from the smallest beginnings to become an internationally recognised, award winning leaders inon organisation.. Working to find solutions for both humans and wildlife, enabling them to coexist.

The Conservation Hour Radio Show

In 2023, CSL presented 25 hours of The Conservation Hour radio show, a regular feature on Mnkhanya Community Radio station. Every Wednesday evening, CSL, the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) and Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust take turns to discuss topics that inform and engage the local community about conservation issues. This is a valuable tool in helping communities understand how to safely prevent and reduce wildlife conflict.

Local Theatre Performances

Across local villages, the Mfuwe-based SEKA theatre group not only enact the frustrations that farmers experience with elephants and other species but works closely with CSL to communicate solutions that help to reduce conflict. The theatre group communicates how people can protect themselves and their livelihoods using humour, visual imagery, puppets and local song and dance.

Chilli Bombers

These devices launch ping-pong balls filled with a mixture of chilli soaked in petrol and mixed with cooking oil discourage elephants from entering crop fields. The combination of the blast sound, the impact on the skin, and the smell of the chilli mixture deters elephants but causes no harm.

‘My harvest was five bags of 50 kg of maize, which could feed my family for four months.
ABESART MBEWE (pictured right) Kakumbi Chiefdo

Elephant-Safe Grain Stores

During the dry season, elephants often damage houses while searching for food, posing risks to people during their night-time raids. To address this, CSL constructs sturdy grain stores using cement and bricks, and the community provides sand and water. These robust grain stores are well proven to protect harvests.

Aerial Unit

The Aerial Unit has evolved to become a significant contributor in safeguarding the South Luangwa ecosystem, contributing not only to anti-poaching law enforcement, research and monitoring but also supporting various other activities. These activities include mapping water points for patrol teams, and assist in monitoring and planning crop damage mitigation measures, and flying with local chiefs to enhance their understanding of CSL’s conservation efforts.

K9 Unit

A change in focus to strategic, intelligence-led deployment of patrols has brought an increase in arrests, firearms confiscations and bushmeat seizures by the K9 Unit.

Wildlife Rescue in the Field & Other Veterinary Work

Snares are indiscriminate killers, endangering many wildlife species. The seasonal trends seen over recent years continued in 2023, with snaring peaking in Zambia’s driest months where access to the protected area is easiest and farming activities are at their lowest. June and September saw the highest number of animals de-snared in any month. Sadly, 2023 saw the first reports of snared lions in South Luangwa since July 2021.

CSL’s collaboration with the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries allowed them to expand the coverage of rabies vaccinations for both dogs and cats. This contributes to a healthier domestic animal population and minimises the potential threat of disease transmission to South Luangwa’s wildlife.

Alternative Crops to Mitigate Elephant Crop Raiding

CSL is promoting alternative cash crops such as chilli, turmeric and lemongrass, which are less attractive to elephants. In 2023, 121 farmers cultivated Tabasco chillies for direct sale, personal consumption as well as ‘smelly’ fence and chilli bomber mitigations.

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With grateful thanks to you, our supporters, who make progress and improvements possible. Particular thanks to Drew who visited both our projects in July and provided some of the pictures in this issue.

With Best Wishes
Jacqui and the Make Me Smile Team