The activities and home of Seka lie in the east of Zambia in the remote Lupande
Game Management Area (GMA) that is adjacent to the 9,050 Km2 South Luangwa
National Park (SLNP). The project is targeted at the 50,000 Kunda people living
in the GMA - locally known and referred to here as Malambo - bordering the
national park and covering an area of approximately 5,000 km2.
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The Park protects an area of unique biodiversity and is one of the few remaining
large African riverine systems with an intact ecology not modified by heavy
human settlement, with many endemic sub-species of large mammals, eg. giraffe,
wildebeest and zebra.
The unique ecology and superb wildlife viewing
opportunities has ensured that the park is Zambia's premier wildlife attraction,
drawing to it a large and increasing number of tourists each year.
The Kunda communities living around the park make a living from subsistence
agriculture. Until the early '90's this was supplemented with subsistence
'poaching' of fish and wildlife from the park.
Benefits generated from
subsistence wildlife use have now been largely replaced with income generated
from wildlife related tourism.
This transformation has been brought about by the
interventions of the NORAD funded 'Luangwa Integrated Rural Development
Programme (LIRDP)' which is now known by the name 'South Luangwa Area Management
Unit (SLAMU)'.
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The vision of SLAMU is two fold: firstly the creation of a
financially self-sustaining protected area system relying primarily on the
development of tourism; and secondly to catalyse support for and develop
community-based wildlife management, making wildlife a complementary and
sustainable land use. Both independent evaluations and the general consensus
amongst stakeholders at a local level, indicate that SLAMU has gone a long way
in realising its vision.
Today, whilst the Kunda are beneficiaries of the growth in the wildlife based
tourism in the area - which has led to a considerable shift in attitudinal and
behavioural patterns vis a vis the national park and wildlife - they remain some
of the most marginalised and poorest people in Zambia. But the growth of tourism
and change in attitude amongst the Kunda - both to the wildlife and tourists
that come to view it - has created a wealth of opportunities which are enabling
the Kunda to improve their livelihoods further whilst reinforcing and reviving
pride in their traditions and culture.
One aim of Seka is to enable the Kunda to maximise the opportunities that have
been brought into their area by the SLAMU driven growth in the tourism industry,
through the creation of 'cultural' tourism opportunities to compliment what is
currently exclusively wildlife tourism.
This will not only contribute to an
improvement in Kunda livelihoods but will also contribute to biodiversity
conservation by providing greater economic incentives to the Kunda community to
conserve their natural resources.
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