The African Monarch Lodges continues to empower local residents with vocational skills in various trades at the Sijwa Project in Zambezi's Kongola Constituency.

The project repurposes recyclable waste from the African Monarch Lodges into salable crafts.

The managing director for the lodges, Tinolah Rogers, said the idea came after partnering with the Mashi Conservancy to recycle waste materials in the absence of a waste management system within lodges in the Mudumu and Bwabwata National Parks.

Rogers said a piece of land was availed of by the Mashi Traditional Authority to empower youth with skills and create jobs, as well as community allowances through the partner conservancies.

She further observed that COVID-19 provided valuable lessons for the project, encouraging it to explore more expansive ideas.

Since 2020, the Sijwa Project has expanded its operations to include the production of beads and necklaces, the moulding of cartons into eco-bricks for warming water, the production of chilli bombs to deter elephants, mushroom production, beehives, carpentry workshops, and an aluminium production workshop.

The project that started with only six youth now employs more than 20 people.