I’ve finally made it to the bush after 8 days of being in Zimbabwe. And what a week it’s been. A few things stand out: my first day ‘in the office’ in Bulawayo, sorting and clearing the container that magically (and through A LOT of hard work) managed to find us, speaking to people about the project and the million and one things that need to be considered, expected and managed, hiking in the beautiful Matopos hills up to hidden caves with amazing paintings dating back 3,000 years ago, going to the local school’s Christmas carols, galas and prize giving nights, and last but not least, finally making it to Hwange National Park on my 7th day.
And now, I’ve joined the Smile and See Safari, a group of Spanish dentists and optometrists, who are, over the next 2 weeks (and for their 8th year running), volunteering to treat people from across local villages and improve dental and eye health. Last year they treated over 5,000 people from different villages, so it’s going to be busy!
The below photos...
1 - While it’s rained, the impact of the drought is still felt very strongly; here 4 elephant carcasses within meters of each other.
2 - Matapos hiking
3 - When you need goal posts, why not use elephant carcass bones; some local lodge workers play football in the Nehimba concession in Hwange National Park
4 - Sorting out the equipment before work starts tomorrow; so many materials and equipment have been donated
Wow what a week and full of surprises too! Good luck on the Smile and See Safari, such a great initiative. Seeing the elephants like that really makes you feel the impact of climate change... so sad xx