 Community
activities. Organised activities may not be
your thing, they are not ours either, but a small semblance of
order is
required for these services, listed below. ( Our beach line
is also an intriguing place just to watch the fisherfolk at
work, especially in the evenings when the catch comes in and
is distributed amongst the community. We have built a brand
new community building in which nets and other equipment is
stored. ) All monies received for the excursions listed below
go directly to the local community for further development
projects.
-
A guided, interactive, Village visit
-
A guided visit to nearby Mangrove forests
-
Africa’s Outriggers – locally named “Ngulau” (
pronounced ‘nnn-goo-l-ow’ ). These small
craft are wooden canoe dugouts created from a specially
selected
mango
tree and equipped with outriggers and sails. An exhilarating
trip to the reef.
-
African Kayaks – these too are
made in the same manner, but are people powered and equipped
with
canoe type oars
-
A guided visit to the Reef by an experienced
reef fisherman. It is astounding what you may not
have seen before,
but will with the guide who has expert knowledge
on this area.
 The lands the community reside
on are not particularly useful
for agriculture. In some areas the original coastal forest is
preserved. In other areas the forest has
been removed and the land cultivated sporadically. It is clear
that the hard coral beneath the topmost layers of topsoil is
not a
friendly environment for crops once the layers have
been sun leached or flushed away by tropical downpours.
A little further inland the soil is more forgiving and the Digo
have combined subsistence agricultural farming with small
flocks of goats and the occasional sheep. And of course the bounty
in the ocean nearby. As a result the resident population has
increased over time.
As part of our contribution to the community,
we established agreement that the original community building
on the Cove land
would be relocated to the southern end, where access to and from
the beach area could be guaranteed. In addition, we have already
created an access road to the main intersection serving us. Within
the building we have made provision for small scale fishing activities
- nets can easily be repaired here. And outside, adjacent to
our public areas are two "shops" one from which fresh fish
may be bought for your evening dinner ! The other is expected
to provide a view of local culture and handicraft for sale.
Close
by, the Kaya Forest has
become an attraction, offering walks and a small education
centre. This is operated
by the community. Once we have completed the initial stages
of our implementation, we expect visitors to our Tree Houses
and Villas owners will want to frequent this location.
Further afield, in Shimoni, the Slave
Cave community project is well supported
on a daily basis by visitors going out to the National Marine
Park at Kisite. Funds derived from these activities
support nearly all teachers in this area, and make regular donations
of medicines to the local clinics. An ambitious scheme to supply
fresh water to the area is now in planning stages.
Life's best moments available
here.
At The Cove.
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