The Beehive Project

At The Sijwa Project How we are helping combat human-elephant conflict in our area with an innovative beehive solution.

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How Bees Help Protect Our Crops

In collaboration with ERP (Elephants, Rhinos, People Namibia), we have launched a groundbreaking initiative to address the ongoing human-elephant conflict that plagues the communities bordering the Bwabwata National Park.

Using the buzz of bees to deter elephants from raiding the communities’ crops!

We have built our own beehives to hang around the farm and conservancies. When the hives get bumped by the elephants, the bees come out to investigate and the elephants – who simply hate the buzz of bees – soon change course. It’s a win-win for sustainable vegetable growing, pollination and honey production.

African Monarch Lodges Sijwa Beehive Project

“Elephants are afraid of bees. Let that sink in for a minute. The largest animal on land is so terrified of a tiny insect that it will flap its ears, stir up dust and make noises when it hears the buzz of a beehive.”

African Monarch Lodges Sijwa Project ERP Team

OUR BEEKEEPERS & SUPPORTERS

Six members from the local Mayuni Conservancy have been trained on site in the art of beekeeping.

Two wonderful guests, Mark and Jan Mackaness, helped to make this possible.

After staying at African Monarch Lodges in 2023, and witnessing the difference our projects are making, they offered to sponsor bee suits and beekeeping tools.

We also have to thank Tinus Hansen and the entire ERP team who continue to extend their unwavering support and belief in a shared vision to make a meaningful impact.

How You Make an Impact

We hope you can feel our passion and enthusiasm for the success of The Sijwa Project, and that you too might be inspired to help this remote part of Namibia reach its full potential.

We would appreciate any form of support.

Simply booking a stay at African Monarch Lodges, visiting The Sijwa Project, or buying any of the products produced makes an enormous difference.

Should you have space in your luggage when travelling to us, may we ask that you consider packing sewing items (like needles, threads and scissors) for our sewing team, or school stationery and books for the vocational residency and residency library.

PROJECT 1 Recycle Bins To build concrete bins with metal lids, for the separation of recycled waste, at each collection of villages in the two Conservancies

Cleaning Up Precious Land Bordering the Bwabwata National Park

The escarpment of the community land bordering the Bwabwata National Park lays littered with paper, plastic, glass bottles, and tin cans.

This rural area still has no running water, no electricity, no flushing ablutions, and no formal waste management services.

African Monarch Lodges created The Sijwa Project for exactly this reason – to protect our immediate environment by not adding its own generated waste to non-existent landfills.

It is our dream to embark on a bold project which hopes to see the end of waste lying scattered across this precious land. Join our hands as we embark on what could be one of the greatest success stories for this region.

PROJECT 2 Waste Collection To purchase a ‘dump’ truck to collect refuse from each village’s separation bins To employ a small team responsible for collection, compacting waste, and the preparation for recycling

Cleaning Up Precious Land Bordering the Bwabwata National Park

The escarpment of the community land bordering the Bwabwata National Park lays littered with paper, plastic, glass bottles, and tin cans.

This rural area still has no running water, no electricity, no flushing ablutions, and no formal waste management services.

African Monarch Lodges created The Sijwa Project for exactly this reason – to protect our immediate environment by not adding its own generated waste to non-existent landfills.

PROJECT 3 Waste Workshop To build a workshop with equipment to compact and bale PET plastic, to be transported to Windhoek with existing supply trucks

Cleaning Up Precious Land Bordering the Bwabwata National Park

The escarpment of the community land bordering the Bwabwata National Park lays littered with paper, plastic, glass bottles, and tin cans.

This rural area still has no running water, no electricity, no flushing ablutions, and no formal waste management services.

African Monarch Lodges created The Sijwa Project for exactly this reason – to protect our immediate environment by not adding its own generated waste to non-existent landfills.

PROJECT 4 Recycling Workshop To build and equip a plastic recycling workshop, which will recycle the non-PET plastic and convert this into artistic plastic tiles for tiling around the Sijwa Project and other buildings in the area

Cleaning Up Precious Land Bordering the Bwabwata National Park

The escarpment of the community land bordering the Bwabwata National Park lays littered with paper, plastic, glass bottles, and tin cans.

This rural area still has no running water, no electricity, no flushing ablutions, and no formal waste management services.

African Monarch Lodges created The Sijwa Project for exactly this reason – to protect our immediate environment by not adding its own generated waste to non-existent landfills.