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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Johannis Aidans childhood friend from the Garden Route. He used to work as a manager of Wild Tongue, where he was in charge of the bar and showing around guests. When Aidan packed his landrover to drive up to the Wild Coast, Johann decided to seize the opportunity for a new adventure and went along. He's doing much of the hard work at the project, such as digging and building. When Aidan and Rahel moved into the treehouse, Johann occupied the landrover for a while, until he had built himself a shelter too. |
BabalwaBabalwa grew up in Manzamnyama Village and joined the team in the beginning of June 2009. After the Aidan and Rahel grew tired of the language barrier (and failed to learn Xhosa quickly), they asked the committee for a translator. They presented 22 year old Babalwa, who had been in Gauteng looking for a job and was glad to come back home and work for the project. She acts as a translator and facilitator between Aidan and Rahel and the village. She's not shy of hard work and happily helps digging or making bricks. While teaching Xhosa to the organizors, she improves her English by her daily interaction with them. |
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