One of our biggest tasks last year was the complete rebuilding of our staff compound. We demolished the entire thing and rebuilt it from scratch. Prior to last year after each rainy season the staff houses would be damaged and water could leak in through the roofs. The compound looked tired and tatty and it was definitely time for an overhaul! Following the same design as the houses in the village we rebuilt each and every member of staff’s house. After the frames were built the workers wives were invited in to clay and paint the houses and finish them off to a high standard! As the rainy season went on we heard many reports of the heavy rains. My heart sank at the thought of the brand new staff compound being washed away into the fast flowing Luangwa. With no contact with the lodge over the rains it could only be left to our imagination the kind of devastation that must have been underway. We arrived in camp for the first time on April 10th. We immediately marched straight to the staff compound expecting to see a pitiful sight of clay and rafters washed to the ground. However, I am pleased to report that, in fact, there was no damage whatsoever, even the paint was intact. It just goes to show that the village designs and craftsmanship for building houses has been honed over the years and sometimes natural materials are better than manmade!
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