Two months since the last newsletter and the wet season has struck Kasanka National Park and the surrounding community.  Since the end of October there has been 1350 mm of rain, a very good wet season after 2 consecutive poor ones.  In the surrounding Game Management Area this rain has resulted in local flooding and the closure of various schools; teachers and students have been wading in knee deep water in the classrooms!

 In Kasanka itself, the rivers are very high, and breaking their banks. The Kasanka river in the centre of the park, usually crossed by a pontoon, has been impassable for almost 2 months, as the waters covered the nearby floodplain. The Luwombwa, also breached its banks, with water venturing quite close to the chalets. The hippos and crocodiles have been thoroughly enjoying their enlarged homes with one lone hippo visiting the lake at Wasa for a few days, on an exploratory visit.  The hippos are expected back in Wasa for an extended stay from May.

 Access to many areas of the park has been reduced, with only the main roads passable.  Luwombwa camp has been cut off, with both access roads swamped by the Kasanka river.  Water is now starting to recede, leaving mud in its wake for the elephants to bath in.

 Tourism has been quiet, as usual for the season, allowing repair work on the roads that were not under water.   At Luwombwa a strong windstorm blew the dining room over, bringing forward the construction of a new improved dining room.  The new chalets, funded by the Beit Trust, have been thatched and plastered, and now await final touches.  

 With the onset of the rains, and the resultant rapid growth of the vegetation, the animals have disappeared in to the forests but poaching has continued.  In the last two months the scouts have caught 9 poachers, confiscated 4 guns, removed 70 wire snares and neutralised 10 traps.  The magistrate is currently in Serenje hearing cases that have been pending for several months. 

 The Kasanka Scouts combined with the Zambian Wildlife Authority Scouts on a patrol in the Bangweulu / Kafinda Game Management Area.   They removed 15 snares and heard several gun shots.

 A new draft 10 year lease has been received from the Zambian Wildlife Authority.  Hopefully it will be signed by the end of March.

 Education has been a high priority in the last two months.  Money received from individual donors, has assisted 11 students from various schools within the Chiefdom to continue their education.  This includes one girl to boarding school, ten students (including two girls) to local day schools with the hope that some are accepted to boarding school at the end of their first term.  Thirty-seven orphans have started primary school in Mpelembe.

 Three new untrained teachers commenced work at the end of February, bringing to four the number of untrained teachers sponsored by Kasanka Trust, through individual donations.  The Zambian government is not employing any untrained teachers themselves this year so that one of the newly employed Kasanka untrained teachers is the only teacher in her school.  Three schools still have no teachers.

 A new community school opened with 80 students in Grade 1 and 2 at Chititima, an area that has struggled for several years to open a school.  They are also offering adult literacy classes in the afternoon.  The Adult Education Society of Zambia has been busy training 17 prospective teachers for adult literacy programs within Kafinda Chiefdom.  Although there is currently no funding available for these teachers, they are all very keen and some have started programs.  Kasanka Trust is looking for funding to sponsor this worthy program and would be interested to hear from any potential donors. 

 With money from the British-Zambia Partnership Scheme, concrete floors have been laid in a new classroom block and a borehole and pump installed at Miseshi School.  Teachers’ houses at Chalilo school were re-roofed and renovated under the supervision of the local Peace Corps Volunteer, with support from Kasanka.

 Kasanka Trust’s community project has been busy working with the Area Community Resource Boards and committees, encouraging active participation and education within the villages on the use of natural resources.  A fruit tree planting program has started, rapid multiplying cassava has been introduced to 3 farmer’s co-operatives, fish supplied by the Fisheries Dept in Serenje to two farmers’ co-operatives and six women’s clubs have planted several fields of beans.   One of the women’s clubs ventured into mango chutney production, producing delicious chutney, which has been sold through the local craft shop.

 Three private donors have given money for the translocation of 12 zebra into Kasanka.  It is hoped that enough money will be raised to bring buffalo, tsessebe and oribi from nearby Lake Bangweulu, in the cool winter months of June to August.

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