Western Zimbabwe, known as Matabeleland, is an area of unreliable rainfall. But life – human and animal – is dependent on this resource. Rains between November 2014 and March 2015 were poor, but the 2015-16 season broke all records for dryness in some areas. No rain meant no crops for people or fodder for animals.
As a result of what ended up being one of the worst droughts in Zimbabwe’s history, Imvelo Safari Lodges launched a life-saving school feeding program providing each child with a cooked meal every school day in third term (the peak of the dry season). The program started at Ngamo School in 2015 and was expanded to 11 schools in Tsolotsho and Hwange Districts in 2016. Thanks to the generosity of past guests, Imvelo raised the funds to feed 2,658 children every school day during the historic 2015-2016 drought. In total, this massive program provided 415,310 meals during three school terms.
While every donated cent was used to purchase foodstuffs, Imvelo provided all the logistics including sourcing, storing and distributing tons of food. The numbers are staggering; in total Imvelo moved 35,880 kg of roller meal, 2,275 kg of sugar beans, 1,298 litres of cooking oil and 6,405 kg of Mahewu during the three terms. Going forward in 2017, as crops are harvested and locally grown food available, the health and education of the communities where Imvelo operates will continue to be prioritized and Imvelo will continue to live out its mission to ‘connect people and nature.’
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