HOW DO WE SUPPORT THEM?
Improving Teacher Housing, Power Access, and Connectivity at Mlevu School
Since its first visit in 2025, and impressed by the impact and long-term sustainability of the program, Indigo Earth Foundation decided to support this initiative by funding:
The refurbishment of teacher cottages at Mlevu School, including the installation of solar panels and Starlink internet access
The equipment of the Mlevu School community gardens
The delivery of training equipment to Ngamo Soccer Academy
To fully understand the importance of this support, it is essential to consider how the education system functions in Zimbabwe.
Teachers are assigned to schools directly by the government, and these placements are often far from their homes and families. As a result, many face personal challenges, increased transport costs, and prolonged separation from their loved ones. Working in remote areas with difficult living conditions leads to high teacher turnover, creating instability in schools and negatively affecting the children's learning environment.
By improving teachers' living conditions through:
Reliable electricity access at night
Comfortable and secure housing
Connectivity with their families through Starlink internet in an otherwise disconnected region...
The project helps retain teachers, stabilise staffing, and improve the quality of education for students.
Strengthening Community Gardens Through Shared Tools
Additionally, Imvelo Trust has provided access to clean water via a borehole and established a fenced community garden to protect crops. While this infrastructure already benefits local residents, productivity can be further enhanced through the provision of shared communal tools, allowing families to cultivate their gardens more efficiently and strengthen their livelihoods.
Supporting Youth Development With Training Equipment for Ngamo Soccer Academy
Indigo Earth Foundation believes that football is more than a game-it's an opportunity. In July 2025, during one of the volunteer programs, Indigo Earth Foundation provided skills training equipment to, and spent two days with, the Ngamo Soccer Academy in Zimbabwe, teaching the coaches and kids training drills and exercises.
WHO ARE THEY?
Supporting Communities Around Hwange National Park
The communal area bordering Hwange National Park in the Tsholotsho region is home to some of Zimbabwe's most impoverished communities, living in challenging environmental conditions. Unemployment reaches 85-90%, the soil is infertile, and long dry seasons put immense pressure on both people and wildlife. The park's open boundaries create constant human-wildlife conflict: elephants destroy crops overnight, while lions, jackals, and hyenas prey on livestock. In such circumstances, poaching, often for bushmeat, can become a means of survival. To break this cycle, communities need opportunities to improve their livelihoods, safeguard wildlife, and thrive alongside it.
Conservation-Led Community Development Through CRCI and Imvelo Trust
In partnership with the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative (CRCI), supported by Indigo Earth Foundation, rhinos are being reintroduced into communal lands in a way that directly benefits local people through conservation fees. Complementing this effort, the Imvelo Trust develops community projects focused on education, healthcare, wildlife conservation, and access to essential resources. Funding for these initiatives comes from Imvelo Safari Lodges and charitable foundations established in Zimbabwe, the UK, and the US, enabling tax-efficient donations and long-term impact.
Proven Impact: WILDLIFE CONSERVATION, Water Security, Healthcare, Education, and Livelihood Programs
For wildlife, Imvelo pioneered the installation and maintenance of solar-powered water pumps across southern Hwange, providing more than 800 million litres of water annually and sustaining over 10,000 elephants each dry season. The presence of safari guests in these areas also helps deter poaching, monitor vital systems, and create jobs for local people.
Over the past decade, Imvelo Trust has achieved significant results:
3.5 million school meals served, about 450,000 annually
The Smile and See program delivering free dental and eye care to nearly 50,000 patients, including life-changing surgeries - Education support, bursaries, school supplies, and wildlife awareness programs
Maintenance of over 100 boreholes, many solar-powered, providing clean water for communities
Construction of teacher housing and school infrastructure - Employment opportunities across lodges and conservation projects
Creation of community gardens promoting sustainable agriculture
Looking Ahead
Many of these initiatives rely on tourism and donor support to continue:
Expanding school infrastructure and rhino sanctuaries
Sustaining the Smile and See medical program
Maintaining water points and garden projects
Continuing to serve over 450,000 school meals each year
Project priorities are proposed by local communities and guided by a board of Zimbabweans who deeply understand regional needs. Together, CRCI, Imvelo Trust, and Imvelo Safari Lodges are building a model where conservation and community development go hand in hand, giving people a reason to protect rhinos, wildlife, and the ecosystems they share.
Imvelo Trust
Empowering communities through conservation.
Linking people, wildlife, and sustainable tutures.
Indigo Earth Foundation support Imvelo Trust, a Zimbabwean initiative that blends community development with wildlife conservation. From healthcare outreach to education and conservation projects, Imvelo ensures that local people benefit directly from the protection of their environment.
