Visiting the Ngamo Livestock Project: Conservation in Action
My name is Alex, and I’m the Safari Operations Coordinator at Tett Safaris.
As part of my role, I regularly travel to Africa to familiarize myself with camps, activities, and wildlife experiences. On my recent familiarization trip through Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, I had the privilege of visiting the Ngamo Livestock Project, an inspiring initiative supported by the Wilderness Trust.
Tett Safaris donates to the Trust every year, and a portion of every guest’s safari helps support projects exactly like this one. Seeing firsthand where that funding goes was deeply rewarding.
Education and Community in Action
Ngamo Village is home to a vibrant, community-centered project combining agriculture, environmental education, and youth development. Two residences on site — one for boys and one for girls — house high-school students who actively participate in managing the farm. Every day, they gain practical skills in livestock care, crop production, and farm management, equipping them with tools for their futures.
Sustainable Farming Practices
The project features several hundred chickens, which students help care for as part of their daily routine. These layers supply eggs for the farm and teach the students essential agricultural management skills. The cattle herd, comprised of Brahman cattle, is bred with local stock to improve genetics and strengthen livestock quality — a long-term investment in both food security and economic resilience.
The farm also showcases large fruit and vegetable plots carefully integrated with native trees. This “living shade-house” conserves moisture, provides natural cooling, and reduces the need for artificial structures. The farm faces challenges, such as baboons, but these are managed sustainably with clever, community-driven solutions.
Behind the kitchen sits another innovation: methane digesters. These systems turn animal waste into biogas, powering the kitchen in an eco-friendly, cost-effective way while teaching students about renewable energy.
Guests Can Witness Impact
One of the most exciting aspects of these projects is that guests can visit and see the impact of their contributions firsthand. Walking through the gardens, meeting students, and seeing the chickens, cattle, and biogas system turns abstract conservation into a tangible experience. It’s a rare opportunity to witness how sustainable tourism directly supports education, livelihoods, and wildlife protection.
The Conservation Triangle
At Tett Safaris, we believe in a model of conservation built on a triangle of shared benefit:
Wildlife attracts tourists.
Tourism provides jobs and income for the community.
The Community benefits economically and therefore has a vested interest in protecting wildlife and the environment.
This circular system ensures that everyone has a stake in conservation. When students gain education, the community gains stability, and wildlife thrives — creating lasting, positive change.
Why It Matters
Ngamo is more than a farm — it’s a model of how community, tourism, and wildlife can work together to protect the future. The project, along with nearby initiatives like Ngamo Primary School’s poultry programs, shows how conservation efforts can improve education, food security, and economic opportunity simultaneously.
For Tett Safaris, responsible travel means ensuring that both the landscapes we visit and the people who live there benefit for generations to come. Visiting Ngamo left me inspired by the dedication, innovation, and hope of the students and community. It’s a reminder that sustainable tourism does more than create unforgettable safaris — it transforms lives.