Get Your Hands Dirty and Give Back

Those who visit our Lodges and Hotels often ask: “How can I make a real difference?” If a holiday for you is the perfect opportunity to give back, come and Get Your Hands Dirty with us!

Through our More Community Foundation (MCF), we help to support and uplift our local communities with sustainable development projects that centre on education, infrastructure, and health and environment (especially access to clean, running water).

A portion of our hospitality revenue automatically goes to MCF, but to keep our projects going we also welcome hands-on help from our guests with a firm social conscience and a will to get involved.

We’ve realised that with a shift to more conscious travel, so many more people are looking to form a real connection with the places they visit.        

In response, we’ve created our Get Your Hands Dirty activity programme. Meet local people and experience their different (and humbling) ways of living, while getting involved in community development on the ground to make a positive impact on human lives.    

Each of our community-based projects has a dedicated MCF representative who keeps up to date with the residents’ needs and acts as your guide. These are always informed by the current community needs and projects’.

The activities outlined below will give you an idea of what to expect. They can be combined and also customised – it’s your choice where you wish to help and use your skills to make a difference. Tasks also constantly change - there’s always a lot to be done.    

Education

Graduation Cape: Teach a mini class, supported by lesson cards on easy to demonstrate modules (e.g. colours, days of the week, numbers), or a pre-structured creative activity (e.g. finger painting or painting masks) with a small group of children.

Storytellers: Take one-on-one reading practice with a primary school child in Grade 1, 2, 3, or 4.

Infrastructure

Roll Up Your Sleeves: Help out with renovations and upgrades (e.g. digging, building, painting) at one of MCT’s projects.

Keep It Clean: Lend a hand with infrastructure clean-up (e.g. washing and cleaning classrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, equipment) to maintain a project’s facilities.

Health & Environment

Root to Mouth: Prepare, cook and serve food for school children, starting with picking fresh produce from the school’s veggie garden.

Water Carrier: Run a water collection errand with community members to help fetch their daily water requirement from their village’s borehole station.

Health Wise: Teach a pre-structured health education session (e.g. on personal hygiene or girls sanitary care) to a small group of high school learners.

Street Sweepers: Get involved in litter clean-up at predetermined sites (e.g. schools, churches, streets).

Play Ball: Play/coach soccer or netball games with high school learners as part of their sports and physical education.

Helping Hands: Provide nursing home support and spend one-on-one time with a retiree, or offer day care support by feeding, bathing and changing babies.

Green Fingers: Help plant, tend or harvest a school veggie garden, or plant trees at predetermined sites in and around a village.

These extraordinary social experiences bring you into the heart of Southern Africa and make your journey here all the more meaningful.

Words by: Jade Crocket

Photos by: More Community Foundation