Alison Cockerell

by Alison

Since I was six years old, I have been fascinated with Africa. I watched programs such as Born Free and dreamed of being Joy Adamson. I studied photography and the combination of travel and photography became my goal. When I was nineteen years old, I took my first trip to Africa – a two week stay in Kenya – and from then on I realised that Africa was for me. Every year after that first safari, I traveled from the UK to a safari destination to get my wildlife ‘fix’. I gained so much experience and knowledge of the bush that I realised that I had to be in Africa full time. I studied Travel and Tourism, obtaining a diploma, and also wildlife management. Six years ago I decided I was ready to make the move to Zambia. I have never looked back and I have no regrets. From the beginning everyone in Zambia was welcoming and supportive.

I first worked for a safari company in the northern sector of South Luangwa National Park where I learned the reservation system. This first year provided me great insight into Africa, its people and wildlife. Then I spent two years working for a business called Tribal Textiles in Mfuwe town, just outside of South Luangwa National Park, where my responsibilities were varied, from accounts to helping to set up a local school building project, to managing and training of local staff. I spent my weekends in the park, with my short wheel base Land Rover that I brought in Lusaka, taking photos and just sitting and watching the wildlife. The great thing about the bush is that amazes you with something different every time you visit.

Three years ago I joined Shenton Safaris. My position is reservations and marketing. I do all the invoicing and office duties; I allocate rooms and advise the kitchen at both camps (Shenton Safaris has a bush camp called Mwamba) of dietary restrictions of arriving guests. I take care of logistics: what clients would like to do each day, and I then check which guides and vehicles are available. I arrange airport runs, and host guests in the evenings.

But I am also qualified as a driving guide in Zambia. During my first off season with Shenton Safaris, between November and May when it rains, I devoted my time to studying for my guide exam. Every day I listened to bird calls and learned to identify them. I drove into the park and then stopped, listened and watched the interaction between animals and between animals and plants. I learned to open my eyes and ears to everything. Our head guide, Patrick Njobvu, took me into the park too, and tested me with every possible question. In April, I sat the guide's exam – one of the toughest in Africa to ensure an outstanding level of guiding for clients. It first consists of a four hour written exam, a first aid test, and basic mechanics, after which, if you pass, you take a practical examination inside the park where three examiners test your knowledge of flora and fauna, your driving skills, as well as your ability to pass on information to your clients and to entertain them.

Elephant dung paper is another of my projects that I do during the off season. I set up some local women to make the paper. They work from their homes so they can take care of their children and work at the same time. I convert the paper the women produce into cards using photographs that I have taken. These are sold in gift shops. I also convert the wire from snares that are found by anti-poaching teams. I spray it gold and several local artists twist it into animals and sell them to tourists. The money then goes back to the South Luangwa Wildlife Conservation Society, which works in anti-poaching among other things.

Lastly, Shenton Safaris supports an orphanage project called Hanada. I help raise money for Hanada through a women's sewing group. I started with two women who were taught to make skirts from the local chitenge material. (Chitenges are the colorful wraps that Zambian women wear.) We now have five women involved in sewing a variety of things. All of our profits go to Hanada and the children. My goal for 2010 is to help wildlife conservation and the community of Mfuwe as much as I can. It is so satisfying to know that I can give back to this amazing place that I call home.

How elephant dung paper is made: the very fibrous dung of elephants is collected, dried, cleaned and sorted for dying. The fibers are then soaked and mixed with used paper from South Luangwa lodges and camps to make a thick sludge from which rough sheets of "paper" can be formed. Spread on mesh trays, the "paper" is dried thoroughly in the sun. That's all there is to the simple process. An environmentally friendly alternative such as Alison's to the millions of paper greeting cards sent annually around the world is an excellent idea.

For more information about ordering elephant dung cards see Vitu on the website.

10-03-2010