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Through your generous support, the Nyika-Vwaza Trust in Malawi works with the
Department of National Parks and Wildlife to improve the conservation of wildlife
in the Nyika National Park and the Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve.
The Nyika-Vwaza (UK) Trust will provide the funding for year on year operational
costs and specific projects through the generosity of its supporters.
Vwaza Marsh Project
The Trust has been actively involved in the Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve.
The long term plan is to re-establish species such as sable, black rhino, eland,
waterbuck and roan through breeding sanctuaries in the Lake Kazuni area. Peace
Parks are currently in the process of looking for funding to start these sanctuaries
in 2007 and are keen for the Trust to be involved in these projects. To this
end the Trust is keen to establish a good working relationship with the local
community.
During 2004 the Trust ran a scout cash incentive scheme similar to that on the
Nyika which helped to increase morale amongst the scouts and led to an increase
in anti-poaching activity. The Trust also provided money to DNPW to assist the
road maintenance programme within the reserve.
Lake Kazuni in Vwaza Marsh is the last water available for the wildlife late
in the dry season. The 2004 rains were below average which resulted in water
levels in Lake Kazuni dropping to a very low level by September. DNPW predicted
that animals, especially the hippopotami, would suffer badly. As predicted, the
lake never rose to the level necessary to ensure there would still be water available
come October for the 150 hippos that reside there, as well as for the rest of
the wildlife who come to the lake to drink. The Trust provided funds to build
a temporary dam across the lake outflow. The resulting reduction in water loss
minimized distress and loss of life in the animal population.
Currently, despite the rains starting late, the amount of rain is far more than
last year and so we hope there will sufficient water to maintain the level of
the lake. But of course if not we now know that we can successfully dam the lake
to prevent the water levels dropping to dangerous levels.
Provision of fresh water for the Kazuni community has become an increasing problem.
On behalf of the Chigwere Cultural Village the Trust approached the Beit Trust
for funds to drill a new borehole and install an Afridev hand pump. This is now
operating successfully.
We are now hoping to find funding for other such boreholes in the surrounding
area due to the success of this one.
The Chigwere Cultural Village that the Malawi Trust supports is going from strength
to strength as tourists become more aware of it. The enthusiasm of the local
communities that own and run it is infectious!
This year, the Malawi Trust hopes to employ a permanent team of labour at Kazuni
to follow a similar programme to the one on the Nyika – road clearance and fire
management.
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