Travellers today are seeking experiences that don’t just minimise harm but actively contribute to local welfare and environmental health. By combining eco-conscious tourism with community development, Lalibela Wildlife Reserve demonstrates how ethical tourism can support ecological balance and social development.
A robust approach to conservation, research and land management is paired with Lalibela Community Outreach Foundation’s meaningful efforts to support the neighbouring village of Seven Fountains. ‘Our reserve is deeply connected to the surrounding communities, and we have a moral obligation to involve them in its success and daily operations,’ says Lalibela CEO Johann Lombard. ‘Through the Lalibela Community Outreach Foundation, we dedicate time, resources, and expertise to supporting the families in the neighbouring village of Seven Fountains’
Aiming to create long term socio-economic benefits for the community, the foundation operates according to four key pillars: education, sports development, conservation and health. For the past three years, a daily meal of a nutrient-rich porridge has been provided to 180 learners who attend Masakhane Primary School in Seven Fountains. Additionally, a recreation centre within walking distance of the school provides after-school tutoring, soccer, cricket, netball, karate and gumboot dancing, and a safe place to socialise in the afternoons.
In collaboration with the local community members, a volunteer-run soup kitchen provides daily meals to people of all ages. Working with a skilled subsistence farmer from Seven Fountains, the foundation creates micro-gardens in local households, cultivating vegetables and teaching others to build self reliance by growing their own food.
With the understanding that buy-in from locals is an essential part of conserving and protecting the landscape, Lalibela is committed to wildlife and environmental education for its staff, who are predominantly locals. These individuals are embedded in every aspect of life on the reserve, with a love for its wild landscape and fascinating fauna.
An eco-brick initiative encourages responsible waste disposal and provides sustainably-made building materials for tables, benches and walls. A plastic-free value is built into the Lalibela lifestyle and increasingly embraced by staff, suppliers, and guests. Strategically-placed recycling bins are provided at every lodge and a water purification system uses resources from two boreholes to produce still and sparkling water on-site.
Removing alien wattle trees and repurposing their remains for firewood and to boost soil nutrition is a core aspect of restoring the reserve’s natural ecosystem, as is eradicating Opuntia, a variety of palatable prickly pear spread by elephants, baboons and fruit-eating bird species.
Looking below the surface at Lalibela Wildlife Reserve’s environmental advocacy and social impact, guests can rest assured they have chosen a truly ethical stay in the Eastern Cape’s wilderness.
Visit this link to learn more about Lalibela’s conservation, research and land management efforts: https://lalibela.net/conservation-at-lalibela/
