In early 2017 Murchison River Lodge began offering English lessons to the women in the community. The women’s group has naturally grown, with young and old attending the twice weekly classes hosted by MRL staff. Not only has it become a place of learning, it’s an opportunity for the women to spend time together, sharing news and offering one another support.
The widow’s group is made up of a small number of elderly ladies from the surrounding community. Every two months a staff member from Murchison River Lodge checks in and delivers a care package to their homes, containing cooking oil, salt, sugar, coffee, tea, rice, posho and washing soap.
Children love to play and what better way to help the children from the local community than by providing them with their own playground. We contracted Jinja based charity, East African Playgrounds, to create the swings, slide, safari jeep and other equipment you’ll see on your approach to the lodge.
Twice a year Murchison River Lodge enrols six youths from the local community and offers them 8 weeks work experience within the different departments of the lodge. Any rising stars are offered employment, and for those who don’t they are given letters of recommendation and subsequently employed in the hospitality and tourism industry based on their extensive training with us.
Several years ago we were approached by the Mubako Musicians and asked if we would host them at the lodge at least twice a week. We said yes, because not only are the group charismatic, their use of the local musical instruments is world class. We are always respectful of their culture and thus for many guests staying at Murchison River Lodge, their performance around the fire pit is often a memorable highlight.
Not only does this busy workshop of talented artisans make our beautiful restaurant glassware, but they make our accommodation folders too. Once empty, the lodge wine bottles are taken to Paper Craft for them to recycle making it a win, win for everybody
Striking handwoven hammocks, made using kitenge fabric, can be found in quiet areas around the lodge and are purchased directly from, ‘Ngora Parish Harmock Company’ in eastern Uganda. While creating the “harmacks,” students learn tailoring as well as fundamental business skills, all while accruing money to either go back to school or start a business of their own. Hammocks are available to purchase from Murchison River Lodge.
Always keen to support local artisans, many of our clay table pieces in the lodge restaurant are made by a group of young potters on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Staff football training takes place on a local football pitch and regular matches are played between all the lodges in Murchison. It’s worth asking when staying with us if there’s a match on, particularly if Murchison River Lodge’s team are playing.
Snares to Wares is a community-based conservation initiative dedicated to improving human livelihood and protecting wildlife in and around the village of Pakwach, a town to the north of Murchison Falls National Park. This project simultaneously transforms human lives and addresses the problem of wildlife poaching by empowering local artisans to repurpose wire snares into sculptures of the wildlife that would otherwise fall victim to snaring. Proceeds from the sale of these sculptures flow directly
Uganda Conservation Foundation (UCF) is a not for profit organisation registered in the UK and Uganda which is dedicated to protecting Uganda’s national parks, protected areas and conservancies. Murchison River Lodge is a corporate member of UCF and donates yearly to this great cause.
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is a semi-autonomous government agency that conserves and manages Uganda’s wildlife for the people of Uganda and the whole world. UWA is mandated to ensure sustainable management of wildlife resources and supervise wildlife activities in Uganda both within and outside the protected areas. Every year since 2012 Murchison River Lodge has hosted the Murchison Falls Invitational Fishing Tournament and given all the accommodation proceeds from the tournament to the organisers. These
The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) is the only NGO in the world that concentrates solely on the conservation and management of giraffe in the wild throughout Africa. At Murchison River Lodge we proudly host one of GCF’s veterinary staff who works tirelessly with rangers from UWA to remove wire snares from animals within Murchison Falls National Park.
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