Waterberry Community Projects is a member of ATTA for Action. Before being accepted into the African Travel & Tourism Association For Action partnership organisations must prove their genuine commitment to protecting people and planet and demonstrate their credentials as philanthropic partners.

The objective is to create an Africa-wide network of projects that support social and environmental sustainability, to ensure that the benefits of tourism trickle down to local communities and benefit the natural environment.

Tukongote is a name chosen by the local community. It describes (in Lozi) the moment when an entire flock of birds (such as the open-billed storks depicted in the logo) takes off in flight all at the same time and in the same direction. It was chosen to represent the determination of the community to work together for the common good.

Tukongote is entirely supported by Waterberry Lodge with many projects that extend beyond the initial school, managed with skill and enthusiasm by our Zambian team.

The Tukongote Library is open to all. Primarily set up as a resource for our school children and their teachers, we opened the library to the community where it is especially valuable for those taking part in our adult reading courses (parents aiming to catch up with their fast-learning children!).

During 2026 computers will be added to the library, as a community resource and as part of the training courses run by the Skills Centre.

The Skills Centre extends learning opportunities to the wider community. It’s easy to offer schooling to village parents, everyone wants that for their children. But while researching the needs for our school programme, we saw a desire for further education and skill building.

There were adults who hadn’t learned to read or write, who didn’t complete school, or who completed school but wanted more and, indeed, for our own school children, some of whom who may not have the opportunity to go further than Grade 7 but who can still develop life skills for local employment.

So, with the dedication and enthusiasm of our two Skills Leaders - Angela and Webby (experts in nutrition, food preparation, carpentry, welding and maintenance work amongst other things) we run courses ranging from basic cooking, food hygiene and hospitality through to welding and carpentry.

We also use the Skills Centre as a community information resource, with widely attended expert talks about so many subjects – from farming and wildlife to family planning and breast cancer awareness, to educational talks on the dangers of narcotics.

Our aim is sustainable farming rather than cropping a plot to exhaustion and then moving to the next. During the pandemic the ‘Rob’s Garden Challenge’ WhatsApp group competed enthusiastically in vegetable growing with Trustee Rob’s UK allotment.

This quickly grew into a resource for the school and community, with expert lessons in compost making and traditional pest control. There are now 50 allotment plots – some allocated to individual classes to teach the basics of sustainable and productive growing, some producing food for the school canteen (300 breakfasts and lunches daily) and some farmed by community members (Yes! It’s the ladies who do ALL the work) growing for their families and making an income selling excess crops.

The Community Farm project has now expanded to a fish lake, a piggery and egg production ensuring a nutritious protein-balanced diet for the school children, using farming techniques that reinforce the basics of responsible animal husbandry.

Football generates enthusiasm, joy and sense of pride everywhere, whether local or top level international. We believe that our sponsorship of the village football teams Tamanga Boys (means ‘running fast’) and Girl Power (means what it says!) genuinely does good by fostering team spirit, competitiveness and encouraging sporting talent (and also winning matches). One of our village girls was scouted and now plays for a national Zambian team, the Tamanga Boys went up a division in 2025.

We provide uniforms and boots, pay for coaches, referees, transport to matches and intensive training workshops especially for Girl Power.

Electricity supply in Zambia can be unpredictable. In Livingstone ‘load shedding’ can reduce power to just 4 hours a day. This disrupts every single aspect of daily life. No clean water and no way to keep food fresh can be catastrophic in high density areas.

The same problem is routine in the rural areas with no power. Tukongote is fortunate to have been connected to electricity through the generosity of donors, but keeping the food for 300 children fresh and toilets managed, let alone the computer class running during load shedding, is an impossible task.

We installed solar to Tukongote School to safeguard power for water and food preparation and developed ‘solar packs’ for the family homes of our staff – enough to power lights, refrigerator/freezer, kettle, television, charger systems and fan. We have been able to buy panels, inverters and installation kits and supply them to more than 80 families on long term interest free slow-pay loans. The installation and service is free of charge to make sure the systems function properly.

The VFWT is a remarkable operation based in Victoria Falls Town just across the Zambezi in neighbouring Zimbabwe. It is dedicated to environmental and wildlife conservation in Southern Africa with unmatched expertise in rescue, rehabilitation, human wildlife conflict resolution and fighting wildlife crime.

Waterberry makes regular donations to the Trust and in return has access to educational opportunities from their expert team, most particularly education of our schoolchildren so they grow up understanding the value of our wildlife and environmental resources and able to resist the pitfalls of the wildlife crime that is a perennial cross border problem between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Waterberry is proud to act as a regional distributor for Specs For Africa.

This is a far-sighted (!) initiative by Anne & Peter Corder who collect used reading glasses and sunglasses in the UK, painstakingly refurbish them and send them to Africa for distribution to people who have no choice but to accept the difficulties that come with fading eyesight.

The glasses are carefully calibrated and sent out with reading charts to make sure that everyone receives the correct level of help. Sunglasses, too, are a vital optical protection against sun damage. Peter and Anne also provide Zimba Eye Hospital with frames for adults and children who are receiving specialist sight-saving medical care.

Period poverty is a worldwide problem, and nowhere more so that in rural Zambia. Imagine missing one out of four weeks (yes 25%) of your schooling simply because you are a girl with no sanitary protection. It’s a huge challenge to confidence and typically girls drop out of education around the age of 13.

We want girls to have the opportunity to remain at school for as long as boys and to have a choice between returning to help the family or moving on to higher education and a career.

An amazing organisation called Project Luangwa created an ingenious solution – washable reusable sanitary pads made from bamboo and cotton, sewn by local ladies in the Mfuwe area. We buy the Ufulu (Freedom) Pads and distribute them during educational sessions to pupils at Tukongote and to the secondary school in Siandunda. They are a much-valued possession in our community.

Destination Livingstone is a public/private/community project aiming to improve the lives and livelihood of those who live in the town through enhancing its status as a Victoria Falls tourism destination and thus increasing social and economic benefits for all.

Waterberry was a major sponsor of the Bridges To Prosperity initiative publicised by DL, drawing attention to the daily plight of those forced to negotiate the dangerously derelict footbridge between Linda, Libuyu and the main town. The power of DL’s lobbying led to a political solution and repair without use of the DL donations.

Our funds have now been diverted to a valuable plastic recycling initiative – turning plastic waste into strong paving blocks.

Family and culture ensure that in Zambia most elderly people stay in their community. But sometimes circumstances require greater care and so residents arrive in MOPH from all over the Southern Province. MOPH aims to give residents social and welfare support, security and a happy and dignified home.

The droughts have not made life easy for anyone. Shortage of resources, food, power require continuous support. Waterberry supplies basic food staples mealie, cooking oil and sugar to MOPH. Ad hoc donations include chitenges for all lady residents and staff, and 6 wheelchairs given as his own birthday celebration by one of the charity trustees.