GIVING AND RECEIVING

For the past 5 years the Milimani Educational Trust has spread a little Christmas cheer and personalised gifts for each child in the 3 crèches they support in Sovane, Maphambeni and KwaDla-Kuse. These crèches are in a remote region of northern Zululand.

This year there are over 180 children, plus 12 teachers to consider. So they decided to go the up-cycling route and approached 

Uzwelo Bags in Durban to make draw string bags to fill with goodies for Christmas. Thanks to kind donations from a few folk they were able to purchase and brand these useful bags.

The Uzwelo story is so inspiring and although Milimani is receiving on one hand, they are also giving. I love it when that happens!!

Uzwelo Bags use waste fabric from their partner company, Expand a Sign. This fabric would otherwise find its way into landfills but in true Cinderella style they are turned into functional, stylish and affordable bags of all shapes and sizes.  

Each bag is literally unique as no two bags are the same. 

To top it all they are proudly and truly South African.

Tanya Bailey with Lois Kuhle from Milimani

Tanya Bailey, founder and owner, has trained people to make the 

bags as an entrepreneurial opportunity, and some of the 

profits go into supporting environmental projects.

Uzwelo has a resident team and outsources to community projects when necessary. They have trained ladies from iBhungezi/Philangethemba Trust (Molweni-Valley of 100 hills),  LIV Village, and iThembalethu (Cato Manor). Each lady is producing bags and earning a living that puts food on the table for their families, funds education and provides dignity and empowerment for their communities in the long-term.

They have partnered with an NPO “The Bateleurs”. Uzwelo is proud to be associated with all that they do and donates a portion of the sales to their cause.

Milimani is gathering goodies to fill the bags for the kids. 

But, shhhhh, don’t tell them…. It’s a surprise.

WELL GROOMED LADY AT PAKAMISA

Crisp Zululand mornings are the perfect time for a horse ride. 

Our winters are refreshingly mild and after a cosy night in their pristine stables, the horses are ready to face the day. 

If you are not an accomplished rider, fear not, the Pakamisa horses are well schooled and happy to take you on a gentle ride.

Isabella Stepski, owner of Pakamisa, is a renowned international Arabian horse expert, who has been breeding fine horses for over 30 years. Her horses were originally born and bred in Andalusia, Spain, of purebred Spanish Bloodlines, tracing back to the famous mares of the State owned stud “Yeguada Militar”. In 1996 she transported her entire stud to this scenic, mountainous region just outside Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa. Her horses are raised surrounded by giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and many other antelopes.

The Pakamisa Arabian Stud, located within the 2,500 hectare private game reserve, is home to a selection of Arabian and part-bred horses, specifically chosen to suit the Pakamisa environment.

Makhosi Dlamini 

Over the past 20 years Isabella has trained local staff in horsemanship and is proud to have had people like Makhosi Dlamini on her team. Makhosi joined Pakamisa as a groom. She then became the back-up rider for the horse trails. After Makhosi had her second child she returned to Pakamisa and took the opportunity of working in the kitchen as there was a vacancy available. With Isabella’s excellent training skills guests can be confident that they are in good hands, whether it is in the kitchen, on horseback or in the bush.

WEB: www.pakamisa.co.za

Contact: res@pakamisa.co.za

We were invited to celebrate a good friend’s 60^th birthday at 

Camp Carlos in Santa Maria, Mozambique.

Tucked away in the midst of this wild and wonderful celebration, 

that lasted 5 days, was a beautiful gift.

At low tide a couple of girlfriends waded across the bay 

to an exposed bank that was littered with pansy shells. 

These delicate little beauties embody all that is peaceful and magnificent.

I was so captivated by all that they stood for, and discovered this beautiful poem. 

Once home I took a collection of gold that was given to me by my husband and my dad. We traded it in for white gold and had a simple, stunning pansy made which rests peacefully on my chest, with the message engraved on the back: 

“Be Still My Soul” (Psalm 131).

I treasure this memory of friendship and a gentle reminder 

that you can trip over an epiphany any time, in the most unexpected place.

The simple, beautiful pansy shell made from a collection of gold trinkets that we traded in. 
Crafted by Afrokwazi, Gateway Mall, Durban.

KIDS ON SAFARI 
@ PAKAMISA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA

Pakamisa Private Game Reserve is in a malaria free area. There are no major predators making this an ideal location for kids on safari.

The reserve is approximately a 4 ½ hours’ drive from Johannesburg and slightly shorter to Durban.  From Durban there are plenty of interesting places to stop off on the way, the petrol stations have clean bathrooms where you can freshen up and get a light snack.

Families must remember that whilst on safari you must be constantly aware of safety precautions and even though the reserve has no predators, all animals are unpredictable. Never get out of the vehicle unless the ranger is close by and aware of your intentions. Keep children close to you on walks and in the vehicle and please remain sitting at all times.

Initially children are excited about going on safari, but the reality may include driving on dirt roads looking for animals. In order to meet your children’s expectations, explain that patience is part of the adventure. 



Bring along some colouring-in books, cameras and a check list for animals to occupy them should they become bored.

A real bonus is allowing them to have their own camera or video recorder 

(it doesn’t have to be an expensive piece of equipment). 

This will encourage them to focus on what is happening around them.

Safaris involve waking up early in the morning to avoid the heat. 
This can result in grumpy kids! Let them have a good rest, 
a swim and some down time between activities. 
If they fall asleep in the vehicle, let them snooze away. 
You can always wake them up when something exciting is around the corner.

Pakamisa is an exclusive lodge and they are happy to 
tailor make your itinerary to suit you and your family, 
taking your needs and those of other guests into consideration. 
The kitchen is happy to cater for the younger members.

The South African Immigration Law requires that all children under 18 must carry an unabridged (long form) birth certificate along with their passports. Make sure you apply for this in good time. These certificates show details of both parents: names, ID numbers, birth place and date.

This law has been introduced to combat child trafficking and is in force at all ports of entry.

For more information click on this link: http://www.dha.gov.za/files/Brochures/Immigrationleaflet.pdf

Contact details:

e-mail: res@pakamisa.co.za

Telephone: +27 (0) 83 229 1811

Web: www.pakamisa.co.za

LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE. INDEED.

It is always such a special treat to be included in out rides at Pakamisa Private Game Reserve. I am a bit of a plodder and was grateful that my steed for the day was Badger. He is a gracious old gent and understands my need to take it slowly. My companions were clearly much better riders than myself and they kindly tolerated my lack of horsemanship.

Pakamisa is the best place to amble through the pristine bush. 




The horses have been trained to accept the wildlife we encounter, and they too remain calm in our presence.

Isabella Stepski, who owns Pakamisa, led our ride. She was born in a saddle and her love for horses is so obvious. Her horses are in excellent condition as is their livery. Isabella welcomes volunteers who spend anything up to 3 months at the reserve escorting guests on rides. They look so elegant on horseback and maybe one day I will get there too. Most volunteers come from Europe – Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As many guests are European they feel quite at home chatting in their mother tongue.

The balmy sky was quite dramatic with the threat of a storm. The afternoon light was so beautiful and taking it slowly we went through tamboti forests and down farm roads making it easy to forget all the troubles of the world.

Learning the Zulu names for the animals is fun on a ride. Pakamisa has a journey of giraffe, or indlulamithi, who are so used to posing for photographs with riders, etching the memory of the encounter forever.  We came across a small group with a youngster who put on a lovely show for us, bucking as he slipped deeper into the forest. The warthog, ntibane, are great opportunists and frequently hang around the stables, greedy for scraps. 

A family of ostrich, intshe, are also always close by. They have raised many chicks in the past, but this year their nest of eggs was vandalized by predators. Eggs are laid in a communal nest called a dump nest, which can hold about 60 eggs at one time. The Zulus haven’t quite wrapped their head around a name for impala, and they remain as ‘mpala’. These delicate antelope will start rutting soon and their guttural call can be heard day and night. Kudu in Zulu are called mgankla or tshabalala – what a fun name! The way they negotiate the thickets with their majestic horns is incredible. Finally, the comedians of the bush, nkhonhoni or blue wildebeest can keep you entertained for ages.

So, despite not galloping on the beautiful open plains at Pakamisa I believe we all had a magical ride taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the Zululand bushveld. We were rewarded with a spectacular storm drenching the reserve with much needed rain.

Thank you Badger for this wonderful experience.

Click here for more information about Pakamisa Private Game Reserve