A holistic balance between conservation, community, culture and commerce exists at The Sijwa Project. African Monarch Lodges, as part of their continued endeavour for their brand to be sustainable and give back to the community and conservation, launched The Sijwa Project in November 2018. It is here where guests will be entertained and enriched with local culture and can interact with the local communities while they practise their artisan skills taught at the project.

Guests will be encouraged to walk through the permaculture plants, recycling workshops where waste such as plastic, glass and cans are turned into beautiful artefacts for sale.

The Sijwa Project has a broad vision of empowering the local community by creating jobs, preserving traditional knowledge, teaching skills and conserving the surrounding environment through a variety of proposed recycling and innovative activities.

With the highest rate of unemployment in Namibia found in the Zambezi Region, African Monarch Lodges carefully structured a project that will help address this problem through a holistic approach. This bold project is multi-faceted and will in the end be self-sufficient.

The Sijwa Project aims to employ 60 plus community members (each member supports up to 12 others in their village) and even more if funding allows, and educate close to 182 scholars per annum from the local secondary school through its Junior Ranger School and Junior Sewing School. 8% of all monthly revenue generated at the project (entrance fees, sale of all artefacts manufactured, sale of vegetables and eggs to the lodges and surrounds and sale of garments manufactured) will be paid to the Mayuni Conservancy.

When you’re in the area, plan a trip to Sijwa and make a real difference in the local community.

Authentic Experiences in the Zambezi