On Display at The Hide: Community Involvement and PfaP Impact
Guests of the Hide Safari Camp which is situated in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe have very generously contributed towards the Pack for a Purpose initiative by saving space in their suitcases to carry specific items that are desperately needed in the local community. We are very appreciative of the fact that while coming on safari our guests have very kindly considered the greater impact that the safari camp has on the surrounding communities. They have carefully selected educational materials, sports aides, clothes, arts and sewing supplies to donate to the local communities where 70% of The Hide Safari Camp employees come from. Their collective efforts have allowed The Hide Community Trust to support projects which otherwise may not be possible.
The Hide Community Trust supports Chezhou Primary School which is located on the outskirts of Hwange National Park and educates 348 children ages 4 through 13 years old. The school is facing many challenges due to the socio-economic environment and relies on a partnership with The Hide Community Trust for support. The Trust rebuilt the school in 2016 and developed a nutritional garden using permaculture methods and installed solar pumps and tanks to enable the school to feed the children at least one balanced and healthy meal per day. The Pack for a Purpose programme has allowed the Trust to further support the school by providing educational materials to the children, many of whom are unable to learn as they cannot afford to buy basic stationary.
In addition an indigenous seed exchange programme has recently been introduced at Chezhou Primary School where the children are encouraged to collect seeds in exchange for educational materials such as stationary and books. 
At the most recent seed exchange, 28 varieties of indigenous seeds were collected over a one-week period.
These seeds are then grown at The Hide Safari Camps tree nursery and later planted back in the communities once they are established.
The children are able to learn of the benefits of indigenous varieties of trees to supplement their diets and increase their food and nutrition security while also receiving school supplies in time for the new school term
Another project that is facilitated by the Pack for a Purpose project is the Shantani Women’s group. Shantani – meaning Joy is a group comprising single or widowed women who have come together to learn new skills such as conservation farming, craft making, accounting and other income generating initiatives so that they are able to lift themselves out of poverty and provide for their families. The Pack for a Purpose initiative has enabled The Hide Community Trust to support the Shantani group by providing them with sewing and arts supplies. The crafts that are made are then sold in the shop at The Hide Safari Camp which generates revenue for these women.
Being a Pack for a Purpose participant has allowed donations to be specific and help our guests understand what donated items may be appropriate for each project. It has allowed the camp to target where the donations are most needed in the communities. It has also created awareness for guests and the camp about how these donations make a huge impact on the surrounding communities. Recently our sister camp – Changa Safari Camp has also joined Pack for a Purpose where they hope to generate benefits to the local community in their area too.
