Accredited guides and donkey-power for energy efficient community based tourism in the Western Cape

Local eco-tour guides accredited for Mamre Donkey Trail

Environmentally minded community based tourism in the Western Cape received a boost this week with the successful accreditation of four local tour guides in the picturesque town of Mamre, near Darling.
The four eco-guides, all local Mamre residents this week received their tourism certificates following their successful three week training and assessment program.

The Mamre Guide Training Program, implemented by Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) with funding from the CEPF (Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund) aims to promote community-driven conservation of Mamre’s highly threatened vegetation by linking it to local tourism opportunities and job creation.

“We have a specific interest in conserving the biodiversity, found in and around Mamre. Many of the species that are found in this area can be found nowhere else in the world. For conservation efforts to be successful, they need to address issues of job-creation and poverty alleviation” says Ismail Ibrahim, Manger of CREW. “Normally, the conservation of threatened species is seen as an activity outside the realms of the tourism industry, but in this case, we wanted to link local people to conservation, through tourism.

The guide training program was undertaken by local community-based tourism and experts Stephen Lamb and Grabeth Nduna. Lamb and Nduna had previously been under the employ of Table Mountain National Park, contracted to develop and guide the TMNP’s  Hoerikwaggo Trails.

“We wanted to build on what we had learned at the TMNP, by doing what we love – spreading our skills to those who need it. When I heard about the project, I was really excited. This is exactly what I want to be doing. The learners in Mamre were motivated, unemployed young ambassadors of the beauty and cultural depth of Mamre. Each one of them grew up in Mamre, went to school in Mamre and love Mamre. It’s a pleasure to work with them, and we are so happy to see them all succeed”, says Nduna.

“For me personally, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to grow and develop my skills as a guide trainer. I want to contribute to my country and see others around me get ahead, especially those without work, looking to advance themselves. I mean this as a conservationist but also as someone who wants to see tourism mean something real in the lives of South Africans.”

New Mamre eco-tour guides (from left to right): Morgan Jonker, Lindi Liedeman, Grabeth Nduna (trainer), Burin Jacoman, Charlene Jonker (picture: Stephen Lamb)

The concept of the Mamre Donkey Trail was months in the making, and was the end result of inputs from local residents, tourism groups, CoCT managers, and conservation bodies.
Lamb, who with Nduna was contracted to facilitate this process, recalls “We arranged a series of workshops and meetings with Mamre residents who identified the opportunity for a guided, interpreted donkey-cart trail through the Town and its surrounds. This trail would be a half-day excursion for Cape-Town based families, aimed at showcasing the natural, historical and cultural diversity of Mamre in a fun, character full way. It made sense to promote a fun, colorful, traditional, cost-efficient and energy-efficient mode of transport as donkey-drawn carts form the backbone of traditional transport in Mamre. Even today residents use donkey carts to collect fire-wood.”

Above: An artist’s impression of the proposed donkey-cart

“Ultimately we wanted to present a concept that would promote conservation, job creation and tourism in real, creative and culturally relevant way. Once we had pinned the concept of the half-day donkey trail through Mamre, we realized the need for guides. We had to successfully source, train and accredit young men and woman living in Mamre as guides. It was not all easy going. Due to funding restrictions Grabeth and I were asked to train and accredit only two guides. But due to the enthusiasm and commitment of the group and CREW, we were able to accredit four guides - double what we had been asked for” adds Lamb. “Which is just great!”

The next step for the project is to build the donkey-carts, using traditional methods and some creative thinking. “We would like to follow simple, traditional design but one that speaks to the bigger-picture issues of biodiversity conservation and job-creation as well. For example, the wood used will be alien wood extracted from the local Mamre Renosterveld Nature Reserve. The Working for Water Program will be invited to participate in this. All metal pieces will be recycled, locally sourced pieces. The emphasis is on simple, intelligent, low carbon-footprint design. In the end we hope to show that even a donkey-cart can demonstrate how humans can “touch the earth lightly”, using the platform of tourism as a stage on which to demonstrate this to families, children and visitors to the town of Mamre.

Says newly accredited and trained guide Charlene Jonker “It was exciting and I hope to learn more. As the eldest in the group, during training I had to make sure that I do not repeat the mistakes have made in the past I really hope this will put our town on the tourism map. It’s a small village but it’s full of beauty and history.”

Dr Guy Preston, the National Programme Leader for Working for Water, has praised the initiative – and particularly the decision to build the donkey carts using invasive alien wood. “The trainers have already demonstrated their considerable skills in using invasive alien plants for value-added industries, and I am particularly interested in what emerges out of this. One of the concerns we have in the utilization of invasive biomass is the damage caused when taking it out of the veldt. Using donkey carts for this purpose would surely be touching the earth lightly, and we shall watch this development with that broader interest as well. Every effort to create jobs and empowerment through sustainable enterprises must be lauded and supported, and we wish the guides every marketing success.”

The project is currently seeking funding for the building of it’s two donkey carts.

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