Uplifting the surrounding community and Mwanya area
Remote Africa Safaris is actively involved, through their own initiative, The Tafika Fund, in sustainably uplifting the surrounding community and Mwanya area. The Tafika Fund was set up by John and Carol Coppinger in 1998 and has been managed by Carol ever since. Through donations from generous guests and tour operators (as well as substantial financial support from Remote Africa), The Tafika Fund has managed to successfully implement and maintain a number long-term initiatives over the years.
Mkasanga School
From ongoing building renovation, to the purchase and supply of stationery, textbooks and over 2500 library books, desks, school supplies, additional educational material and the payment of teachers' salaries, the Tafika Fund makes a significant difference to present lives and future aspirations of Mkasanga scholars.
Mkasanga Clinic
The Tafika Fund built an outpatient clinic in Mkasanga, which acts as a first aid centre for the 2036 residents of Mkasanga. The clinic officially opened its doors in March 2006 and now includes an inpatient and maternity wing. A government medical officer oversees the clinic and tends to patients while the fund pays a monthly wage for an assistant to the officer. Periodically, medical supplies may be donated to supplement the clinic provisions.
Scholarship Programme
Full educational scholarships are offered to the top Mkasanga graduates each year. The scholarships are fully comprehensive and include school fees, accommodation, food, travel and school material costs. Four new students are afforded scholarships per annum. Presently, 15 pupils are supported by the scholarship programme and, thanks to individual sponsors, the number of scholarships continues to grow.
University Scholarships And Skills Training
Inevitably, the desire for tertiary education for our successful school leavers, found the Tafika Fund extending its support to aspiring students. The Tafika Fund now offers further sponsorship for skills training and college students every year. In 2018, 8 students were supported: 5 men and 3 young woman. Teaching, nursing and medical officer training seem to be the most popular choices currently, with a further 2 students at university completing 4 year degree programs.
Once the Fund takes on a student, they are supported throughout their studies, provided their grades remain acceptable. This long-term commitment puts huge strain on the Fund and limits the number of students that can be included in the program. The Tafika Fund has supported several students through long-term degrees over the years, including a student of medicine at Unza,Mr Swedy Nkhoma, who completed his degree in 2017. Watching various life options become available to our youth is a great reward for the efforts and ongoing support of the Tafika Fund.
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Football For Wildlife
Inspired by the late David Back who, together with his wife Karen, worked in the Luangwa Valley for several years, a Football for Wildlife league was started by Remote Africa Safaris in 2015. The objective of the League is to build awareness and enthusiasm for wildlife conservation over a wide reach of the Luangwa valley residents through their abiding love of soccer. The initiative is ably managed by Jimmy Sakala and Carol Coppinger of Remote Africa Safaris and funded by The Tafika Fund.
The league involves teams from chiefdoms adjacent to both the North and South Luangwa National parks. Each team represents individual villages, generating great inter-village rivalry and communication for the 6 week period of the league. 8 mens teams, 4 from Chifunda (North Luangwa) and 4 from Mwanya Chiefdoms (South Luangwa), have competed in the league since its inception, for the prize, The Kafupi Cup (named after Karen Back, a lady small in stature but big in heart). In 2017 the football league was expanded to include a ladies’ league, offering encouragement and opportunities for the woman of the Luangwa, as well as men. This possibly marked the first time ladies played football in the Luangwa Valley in a competitive league.
The ladies league includes 4 teams from the northern Chifunda and 4 from the southern Mwanya chiefdoms who all compete for the Shipikisha Cup, meaning “BE STRONG TO GO FORWARD”. True grit and determination are shown by the ladies in learning both the skills of football and overcoming their cultural hesitance for this newly accepted female role in the community.
Much preparation is required on an annual basis to ensure the success of FOOTBALL FOR WILDLIFE. Each team has a coach and a manager. Training commences long before the league start date arrives. Uniforms and 34 footballs for the 16 teams are purchased in Lusaka through Valley Lodgeistics, the ever efficient and willing buyers for all the Luangwa Valley camps. Various UK schools have donated bags of used football boots which get distributed to a few lucky players.
Transport for the teams to move from village to village on match day is carried out by local taxis of all shapes and sizes.
Referees and linesmen keep the peace amidst the bubbling enthusiasm of supporters and players alike. Each player, coach and official receives a match fee to ensure everyone reaps a reward for their efforts. Uniforms, whistles, flags and banners all with their team branding, are provided, associating each team to their specific animal and building conservation awareness.
These matches provide great entertainment for all, enriching the lives of the surrounding communities, creating a friendly competitive spirit and encouraging different villages to work together. Most of all, the Football for Wildlife league aims to promote positive awareness for conservation of the Luangwa’s precious wildlife, trees and environment in an atmosphere of fun, excitement and achievement.
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Featured Student
Jones Phiri was supported through the Tafika Fund throughout his last 3 years of his high school studies on a fully comprehensive scholarship. Jones graduated from Lumezi Secondary School in 2020 and was one of 12 school pupils and 10 university students that we continued to support during the pandemic thanks to generous donations during a difficult year. We are proud to share that Jones finished with four distinctions and is extremely grateful for your support!
Pack with a Purpose
Guests wishing to give a little more to the Mkasanga School or clinic can add the following rewarding items to their safari luggage, we will distribute these items or guests may during a community visit:
Calculators
Second hand phones / tablets / computers for our Tafika Fund students (reset with no personal info or passwords)
Deflated footballs/netballs
Skipping ropes / tennis balls / volleyball nets
Educational posters and maps for classroom walls
Rain and temperature gauges for recording the weather
Dice and blocks to use in mathematics classes
Coloured pens, pencils and crayons
Exercise books
Medical supplies: ointments, eye drops, antibiotics, bandages, plasters (all within expiry date)
Extra baggage for the Tafika Fund may be transported separately on Proflight domestic flights to avoid overweight issues. For more information about this, please contact us.
How Can You Help
Should you wish to support the Tafika Fund, kindly contact us on jen@remoteafrica.com. If you would like to make a tax-free donation from the USA or donating through a charitable fund or just would like to make an online donation it can be made through Philanthropic Ventures Foundation.
Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to supporting outstanding charitable work and acts as the depository for The Tafika Fund as well as other charitable projects.
To donate by cheque:
Send your check donation made payable to Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, with “Tafika Fund” in the check memo line, to:
Philanthropic Ventures Foundation
1222 Preservation Park Way
Oakland CA 94612-1201
PVF will provide donors with a tax acknowledgement letter for their charitable donations of $250 or more.
Find Philanthropic Ventures Foundation in the list of nonprofits with your DAF host (Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, community foundation, etc.). PVF’s Tax ID number is 94-3136771. Add the further designation to support the Tafika Fund.
To donate by credit card:
Click on the Donate button below to donate. You will receive a tax acknowledgement receipt by email from Network for Good, our credit card processor. Please note: as there is a 3% fee for credit card donations, we recommend that larger donations be sent via check.
Any general contribution is very welcome and if you would prefer to sponsor a pupil or student through a year of education that would also be very welcome. Your support is highly appreciated – thank you!
