Aidan and RahelAidan grew up at the Garden Route and used to run the Wild Tongue Backpackers in Nature's Valley. He has visited the Transkei - especially Bulungula Lodge - several times and loved the place. When the opportunity to start a project near Bulungula presented itself, he jumped in. Leaving the backpackers in the care of his parents, he was getting ready to move to the Wild Coast. And that's where Rahel from Switzerland dropped in ... she met him at the backpackers while he was preparing his leave. Thinking that life out in the wild, without running water or electricity, would be a wonderful thing, she spontaneously joined in and followed Aidan to Manzamnyama Village. After living in the landrover for two months, they moved into the treehouse they have built themselves not far from Sobonana Lodge. Together, they are the creative head and organizors of the project. |
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Lawrence (Xolie)grew up in Manzamnyama Village, but works and lives now in Pretoria. Driven out of the village by the need to earn money to feed his family, Lawrence went to work in the city as so many other young men from rural villages did. Together with some friends from the Mpame area, they formed the NGO Bomvana Patriotic Youth, their main purpose being to facilitate delivery for basic services like clean water, sanitation, electrity, roads etc. into the rural areas. Lawrence and his friends are supporting the project by keeping in close contact with us, talking to people in the village and helping us to organize meetings and events. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide decent jobs and income to enable young men like Lawrence to come back to their home and their families. |
Sesandahas been helping a lot with the project lately. He started by giving Aidan a hand with thatching and has over the last months become our helper No. 1. Improving his English day by day, he has even gone down to Cape Town with Aidan and Rahel to attend the BazBus Party and meet other staff and Backpacker owners. He is working on the lodge as well as acting as a translator. |
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