Project Detail

Support to Lekhubu Island Eco-Tourism and Outreach Project

Gaing-O Community Trust (GCT) aims at running a viable Lekhubu eco-tourism venture for the benefit of Mmatshumo village and surrounding localities through diversification of the product on offer to attract a wider clientele base, undertake a concerted and sustained marketing programme, produce outreach materials and capacity building for staff to equip them with skills to enable them to perform their interpretive and law enforcement efficiently.

The support given to Lekhubu eco-tourism venture is part of a project co-funded by various implementing partners in the development of the eco-tourism venture infrasture to increase the tourism potential of the area. Hivos, European Development Fund, Community Conservation Fund (Department of Wildlife and National Parks), Germany Embassy, National Conservation Strategy Coordinating Agency, German Development Service, African Development Foundation and Canada fund raised BWP1,813,171.00 for the various components of the eco-tourism project. The project will promote biodiversity conservation, protection of natural resources and will ensure adherence to environmental conservation principles. In addition, it will increase efficiency in the day to day running of the trust and improve the quality services offered to both tourists and the residents of Mmatshumo. The outreach and capacity building component will allow interaction with stakeholders and information dissemination on the project and related activities.

GCT developed Kubu campsite (at Kubu Island) and Thithaba campsite by the edge of Ntwetwe pan, twenty kilometers west of Kubu Island. The opportunities for the profitable operation of Lekhubu project lies in the high level of marketability of the isalnd, the strategic linkages that GCT has established and/or identified with stakeholders, strategically located en-route to at least four major parks and game reserves in Botswana and being the only place in Botswana that has prominent rocky features with a breathtaking view of the salt pans in Makgadikgadi.

The project will ensure the rural community of Mmatshumo participates meaningfully and benefit from the tourism industry, acquire tourism related skills through hands on engagement by way of employment and benefit from the spin-off tourism activities through craft sales. The Lekhubu eco-tourism project embraces sectoral and resource based thematic focusing as most families are female headed, the majority of the people are of Basarwa origin.

Loading map...

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Gaing-O Community Trust

Country:

Botswana

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

Phase 3

Grant Amount:

US$ 43,735.00

Co-Financing Cash:

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 24.43

Project Number:

BOT/OP3/2/06/07

Start Date:

7/2006

End Date:

6/2008

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Project sustainability

As the project has already started showing that it is growing due to the marketing part we have done and more revenue getting in as compared to the first time we hope that the trust will be sustainable after the GEF grant. We have planned to have more activities to after the completion of the cultural structure that we have started with GEF in which they will help to generate more income than what we are doing.

Capacity - Building Component

In order to enjoy the benefit of the available natural resources, a subsequent amount of money will be allocated to training. Youth in the village will be trainned in the area of tourist guides, marketing and inservice training will be provided to members of the existing staff in order to equip them with necessary skills to perform their interpretive and law inforcement duties efficiently.In addition the office is equiped with a relatively good booking system therefore there is a need to employ and train dedicated booking officers.Some funds will be used to train individuals to man the booking office.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

Individual community members benefit from the project directly through their involvement in the economic activities that are income generating such as saling craft products and other traditional manufuctured products as will as selling their traditional skills.

Notable Community Participation

Members of the Mmatshumo village will participate significantly in the project through their involvement in the economic activities that are income generating such as exhibition and sales of craft at curio shop. In addition community members participate in the project by contributing their labour in the building of the cultural village. The community members further more will be able to have input in the kgotla meetings that will be held in Mmatshumo village and other villages surrounding the area.The project area is surrounded by vanourable groups such as Basarwa and these communities too are an integral part of the GCT and are actively engaged in the running of the affairs of the Trust.

Gender Focus

Most of the household in the Mmatshumo and surrounding area are headed by females as most of the men have migrated to the nearby mining town hence through this project women will be empowered.The y will be able to sell their products at the curio shop.

Replication of project activities

None.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The Gaing-O Community Trust is involved mainly in the tourism business therefore it is expected that when the project is finaly complete a lot of revenue will be enearned from such services as campsites with tented accomodation, guided walks, fire wood sales and bicycle trips. The tourism potential presented by the natural resources in the area can enable th Gaing-O Community Trust to wean itself from donor funding.

Policy Influence

The way we are running our project in the makgadikdadi areas has shown that we need to be more extra careful to how are clients and the local people are treating the makgadikgadi areas in which we see it necessary for the government to come up with policicies that will guide people on the way they use these natural resources

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Through this project th Gaing-O community intends to undertake an intensive marketing of the eco-tourism activities of the area and this will be done through the development of a website, advertising in radio and newspapers, advertising in international magazines such as gateway, African Footprints, production of brochurtes, information booklets and posters. As the project is strategically located en-route to at least four major parks and game reserves in Botswana sign boards will be placed on strategy locations such as prominant road junction, boarder posts etc.They will also undertake promotional trips to some of the major tourtism trade fairs in Africa and abroad ;produce promotrional materials such as T-shirts, caps, cups, ties, shirts etc for to be bought by tourists as sourvenirs to remind them of Lekhubu when they are back home.

Planning non gef grant

Yes we hope to keep on asking other donors to assist where ever possible to develop the project as we are running a non profitable project. We do this project for the development of the community.

Linkages gef projects

Yes. We are currently on the way to have a project with bird life Botswana which is being financed by large GEF in which we hope it will boost the current project that we are doing.

Planning gef grant

Yes. We hope as in future as we need to develop our area as much s possible to match up with the completion that we are facing in tourism sector. For one to be in a position to compete with other countries for the clients we need to have good and enough facilities to satisfy of our clients and the environment.

Project Results

The component for designing the sign board helped us a lot since our clients are now happy mostly those who are coming from North compared to the first time in which we use to lose a lot of money for camping as most of our clients were lost and spend the night in the bushes and arriving on the following day as transit visitors. The workshop helped us a lot by providing guidelines to the development as they arranged for with us for a person who is responsible for the protection of environment to lecture or give the massage to the people about the impotency of conserving the environment. This can be easily being seen as you take a trip to the Island and have a view to nature. The website its self made a big difference as we now have more bookings compared to the past.

+ View more

Back to search results

Countries

Regions

Project Snapshot

SGP Country office contact

Address