Children of the Wilderness:

Africa with Tauck ... the Malukele Tribe

It seems to me that every American is privileged to be a visitor abroad…privileged to see and appreciate more of our expanded world... and what we can learn from others.

My story is one in which I saw and listened for three full days to the story of the Malukele, a tribe in South Africa. A remarkable story about their forced journey from their ancestral lands, through apartheid separations in 1969, to their village center today, located a near, yet distant, 50 kilometers from their homeland – now an upscale safari camp called Pafuri.

It was around the campfire of Pafuri, in the dark wilderness of the northern stretches near Mozambique, where I first met the Malukele and their gentle ways. Serving the few guests that we were, these young people told us stories their grandparents told, as they walked with them through the nearby river beds, now part of Kruger National Park and used for safari outings and adventure treks. They were happy people and eager for a new chapter.

I was the guest of Wilderness Safaris – in fact, I invited myself as a guest – as I was headed to South Africa and north to Ethiopia to pick up a coveted award for our company; yet my interest was far more in Pafuri and new programs than awards. I had heard a bit about the Camp from travel friends involved in Sustainability; I researched and knew that it was close to the Tauck camps that have been used for our safari guests since 2000.

Keith Vincent and I met at familiar Skukuzu Airport then flew for over an hour in a two-seater... over vast dry lands and sinewy rivers marking the border of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Over the loud engine, I listened to a fascinating tale.

I learned how this company, our partners in Africa, were “closing down” for weeks, to help the tribal children and villagers of Botswana, Namibia, Malawi and South Africa reconnect with their past and a brighter future of employment, pride and self-esteem; an opportunity to break dependence on foreign aid and handouts that led to a spiral of poverty...

Over the next days, we traveled a few times on the long road between the Malukele Village... and the Pafuri luxury Safari Camp. Outside the dry and barren village, I stepped inside tented greenhouses to see abundant green rows of lettuce, vegetables and tomatoes. A worn truck outside, and young farmers tended to the gardens and transported these foods to the Safari Camp. We ventured into the village to see their very first B&B... courtesy of the work of Wilderness Safaris and the training they received from the hospitality experts. They were proud to show us how their community could host 10-12 hostel visitors!

Back at Camp, the Malukele women and men were our restaurant servers, chefs, and bartenders; each night they walked us with flashlights down the long paths to our tents, retelling in perfect English and with pride, the story of their land. Many were timid and shy, trying their new skills with caution and care.

I was thinking... about the newcomers in December 2007, who will arrive, excited and nervous, as young people into this foreign world of a safari camp... to sleep in such downy beds along the river, to sit around a campfire and to learn about preservation, conservation and even about life and health, such as HIV+.

How proud will Tauck World Discovery be... to be a small part of a big change in this tribe, to witness by each single child, the spirit of discovery, learning and care... that we as fellow world citizens far, far away can make happen. Just $50 per child per day will provide skills that can sustain a family of eight. The proof is before our eyes, in a thriving tribal community; with love and bonds that are evident between the Wilderness Safari counselors and staff and the kind and gentle people of the land.

One young man sat at a table talking to us; he was learning how to drive a transportation vehicle to bring a dozen workers each day to Camp. And, even more challenging for him, to take Americans, Brits, Germans and more on a one hour tour to and through his village. We helped him with tips of how to welcome people, and he smiled and learned. He loved his job; the idea of where it might go was a real inspiration. He was proud.

Upon my return, I felt the passion to “join in” with Wilderness and the Paul Newman Hole-in-Wall Gang, a local Westport resident who sparked the idea years ago.

A significant Tauck grant has now been made to Wilderness Safari Trust for the Malukele Tribe and Children in the Wilderness 2007 and 2008. Over 100 children will join a Tauck Week in South Africa and build a future for themselves and their family.

Tauck World of Giving and our employees look forward to being a travel partner and sponsor and learning and growing from this invaluable African experience.

Robin Tauck,
September 2007