WAG - Malawi: We have moved to a new web address!

IMPORTANT: THE (archived) CONTENT YOU WILL FIND HERE IS OUT OF DATE! (June 2020)

WE ARE NOW AT:

www.wildlifeactiongroupmalawi.org

Thuma Telegraph



November 2012

-> Click here to view the complete Thuma Telegraph November 2012(pdf)

Dear Friends and supporters

As I write this I dream of a cold wind blowing in my face, goose pimples on my arms, the feel of ice cold finger tips as you make a snow ball and snowflakes landing on my nose!

November in Malawi is painfully hot with temperatures over 40 degrees which sucks every bit of energy you have. By noon nothing moves, and it is necessary to rest! If you can manage to sleep you wake up completely soaked with sweat and feel worse than before. By 4pm it starts to cool down a little and your body and mind starts to be able to function again! At night it is the same! It is just not comfortable with no breeze and this dead weight of heat!

We are all waiting for the rain to come; people are in the fields, the normal panic to find money to buy fertilizer by every Malawian for their fields; do you grow soya, maize, ground nuts, tobacco??!! Where can they get money? Fields are being prepared and there is a flurry of activity for a few hours every morning from 5am to about 8am, THEN it is necessary to find shade and sit out the heat of the day!

injured elephant

Poor little injured elephant.

Over the last few months we at WAG have had many highs and double the number of lows!

We have been challenged to the nth degree but in true WAG spirit we pulled together, worked harder and dealt with each issue and are once again on track and things are beginning to show for all our hard work and energy.

We have made many arrests, been attacked by charcoal burners, building the fence extension, elephants have been out in record numbers, camp was robbed, to mention but a few things!:)

THIS IS AFRICA!

Please read on find out what we have been doing and enjoy the many photos.

Thanks for all your support and for taking the time to read our newsletter.

Yours sincerely

Lynn

-> Please, click here to see fantastic photos and to read more.


July 2012

-> Click here to view the complete Thuma Telegraph July 2012(pdf)

Muli Bwanji

About time you had some news from the bush and Malawi! :)

As you all know over the last year or so we have experienced many challenges in our day to day lives. Fuel shortages which involved at times queuing for up to 24 hours, daily power cuts in town, increase in transport costs, shortages of a lot of food items etc.

Since our last newsletter Malawi has experienced some major changes.

new camp

A lot of things have changed for the better around camp

In April the late President Bingu suffered a heart attack and sadly died. The vice President Madam Joyce Banda has stepped up to the mark and is the first Lady President in Malawi and the fourth president since independence, and also the first Lady president in the Southern African Region.

In line with IMF advice, due to the state of the economy the Malawi Kwacha (local currency) has devalued 49%, and with that the cost of most consumable items have also risen in price, including fuel, maize, sugar.

This with the lack of rains last season means many Malawians are suffering major challenges in their day to day lives. Already there is a lack of maize available and what are available are over three times the costs this time last year. Malawi is classed as being in the top five poorest countries in the world and today in some villages there are food shortages and some people are going hungry.

This of course affects our work, and elephants going outside the reserve more than ever come into direct conflict for the very precious food that is in the fields. And people coming into the reserve to illegally take natural resources to subsidize their income or lack of income causes more conflict.

However, the future is bright and we do our best and will continue to try to find some balance to protect these areas, the people and animals plus assist the local population with small projects that will in turn help them to make some money so they can support their families which should in turn reduce the dependence on Malawi’s natural resources and protect it for future generations .

Please read on find out what we have been doing and enjoy the many photos.

Thanks for all your support and for taking the time to read our newsletter.

Yours sincerely, Lynn

-> Click here to read more


Thuma Telegraph



November 2012

-> Click here to view the complete Thuma Telegraph November 2012(pdf)

Dear Friends and supporters

As I write this I dream of a cold wind blowing in my face, goose pimples on my arms, the feel of ice cold finger tips as you make a snow ball and snowflakes landing on my nose!

November in Malawi is painfully hot with temperatures over 40 degrees which sucks every bit of energy you have. By noon nothing moves, and it is necessary to rest! If you can manage to sleep you wake up completely soaked with sweat and feel worse than before. By 4pm it starts to cool down a little and your body and mind starts to be able to function again! At night it is the same! It is just not comfortable with no breeze and this dead weight of heat!

We are all waiting for the rain to come; people are in the fields, the normal panic to find money to buy fertilizer by every Malawian for their fields; do you grow soya, maize, ground nuts, tobacco??!! Where can they get money? Fields are being prepared and there is a flurry of activity for a few hours every morning from 5am to about 8am, THEN it is necessary to find shade and sit out the heat of the day!

injured elephant

Poor little injured elephant.

Over the last few months we at WAG have had many highs and double the number of lows!

We have been challenged to the nth degree but in true WAG spirit we pulled together, worked harder and dealt with each issue and are once again on track and things are beginning to show for all our hard work and energy.

We have made many arrests, been attacked by charcoal burners, building the fence extension, elephants have been out in record numbers, camp was robbed, to mention but a few things!:)

THIS IS AFRICA!

Please read on find out what we have been doing and enjoy the many photos.

Thanks for all your support and for taking the time to read our newsletter.

Yours sincerely

Lynn

-> Please, click here to see fantastic photos and to read more.


July 2012

-> Click here to view the complete Thuma Telegraph July 2012(pdf)

Muli Bwanji

About time you had some news from the bush and Malawi! :)

As you all know over the last year or so we have experienced many challenges in our day to day lives. Fuel shortages which involved at times queuing for up to 24 hours, daily power cuts in town, increase in transport costs, shortages of a lot of food items etc.

Since our last newsletter Malawi has experienced some major changes.

new camp

A lot of things have changed for the better around camp

In April the late President Bingu suffered a heart attack and sadly died. The vice President Madam Joyce Banda has stepped up to the mark and is the first Lady President in Malawi and the fourth president since independence, and also the first Lady president in the Southern African Region.

In line with IMF advice, due to the state of the economy the Malawi Kwacha (local currency) has devalued 49%, and with that the cost of most consumable items have also risen in price, including fuel, maize, sugar.

This with the lack of rains last season means many Malawians are suffering major challenges in their day to day lives. Already there is a lack of maize available and what are available are over three times the costs this time last year. Malawi is classed as being in the top five poorest countries in the world and today in some villages there are food shortages and some people are going hungry.

This of course affects our work, and elephants going outside the reserve more than ever come into direct conflict for the very precious food that is in the fields. And people coming into the reserve to illegally take natural resources to subsidize their income or lack of income causes more conflict.

However, the future is bright and we do our best and will continue to try to find some balance to protect these areas, the people and animals plus assist the local population with small projects that will in turn help them to make some money so they can support their families which should in turn reduce the dependence on Malawi’s natural resources and protect it for future generations .

Please read on find out what we have been doing and enjoy the many photos.

Thanks for all your support and for taking the time to read our newsletter.

Yours sincerely, Lynn

-> Click here to read more

We are very thankful for the support of our generous donors and partners in our continuous effort to protect Malawi’s forest and wildlife for future generations. THANK YOU!