Ocean Paradise Resort is situated on the North East coast of
Zanzibar.
Since the Resort was opened in 2004 the owners, having visited the
village numerous times during the construction of the Resort were
interested in giving back to the community, especially the village
closest to where the Resort is situated, Pwanimchangani.
The residents of Pwanimchangani are predominantly Muslim and
therefore the first project was to build a mosque in the village. This
was followed by a school and thereafter a joint project to build a
dispensary for the residents.
The Resort works closely with the “Sheha”(The Village Elder)to try
and improve the lives of the local Zanzibari’s in the village.
The aim of the Management of the Resort was to ensure that guests
visiting our beautiful Island have the opportunity to see Zanzibar
culture from a different perspective and we introduced free tours to
the village as part of our program.
The Village Tours had a profound affect on many of our guests that
partook in the tour and many tried to contact us for ways in which
they could assist or donate to the village.
Stemming from this, the Management, having spoken to the
“Sheha”, identified possible ways in which we could raise money for
projects that would benefit the local community.
Maternal Health
The Pwanimchangani Dispensary is the only health clinic available
to accommodate just under 6000 residents from the villages of
Pwanimchangani and Khandvi.
Although there are basic facilities and support for pregnant women
available at the dispensary, many women are forced to travel long
distances to hospitals that specialize in maternal care to deliver
their babies. Added to the distance they travel whilst they are in
labour, is the cost incurred by them for transport to these hospitals
which is relatively expensive. Many women still deliver their babies
at home without any medical support.
Taking this into consideration, The Ocean Paradise Community
Project, in conjunction with the village of Pwanimchangani, hopes to
build a maternal clinic to assist pregnant women from the villages
of Khandvi and Pwanimchangani.
Education
There are currently about 638 children enrolled at the school in
Pwanimchangani aged 6 to 20.
| Primary School Children: (ages6-15) |
415 |
| Secondary School Children: (ages 15-20) |
223 |
Education is key in a world that is becoming smaller and more
competitive by the day and our hope is to try to find a way to assist
the village in improving the existing school that will have a long
term impact for the future generations of Pwanimchangani.
The school is a highlight for many guests that visit the village and
small things such as pens and pencils are normally what the
children, if asked, will say they require.
Our focus is to increase literacy rates in the village and arm the
children with the tools they will require to succeed which includes
computer literacy and languages.
Our long term aim is to set up scholarship funds for children who
show potential but are unable to afford further education.
Eco & Social Tourism
Ocean Paradise is committed to supporting the development of the
local community.
The majority of our seafood is bought from the village fisherman on
a daily basis to help sustain the livelihoods of fisherman practicing
an art form that has been ongoing for generations. Fishing is the
biggest income earner in the village of Pwanimchangani followed by
agriculture. Much of our fresh local produce is also procured from
the village. We also take pride in hiring residents of the village to
work with us in positions such as Gardeners, Room Stewards, Cooks
and Maintenance.
The Environment
We are committed to playing our part in helping to preserve and
protect the fragile environment on our beautiful Island.
Water is a precious resource and this is the main reason that none
of the rooms at the Resort feature bathtubs. All the water that is
used at the Resort is recycled and then used to water the gardens.
Plastic water bottles are sent for recycling and we organize a
collection at the village for any plastic waste so that it can also be
recycled.
In an effort to raise awareness in the schoolchildren at the village,
Ocean Paradise in conjunction with the school of Pwanimchangani
organizes the children and members of our staff to partake in a
beach cleaning exercise to clear our beach of any plastic and
rubbish.
The intention of the Ocean Paradise Community Project is not to
interfere with the traditions of the local community. The initiative of
the project is based on the theory that any projects we participate
in with the village are done so with their full support and on the
basis that we can effectively hand it over to the Village to run and
implement, thereby allowing them to be self sufficient.
As visitors to this beautiful Island, we feel it is our obligation to give
back to our hosts where we can.
If you are interested in any of these programs please do not hesitate
to speak to any members of our staff.
Donations for the village projects are very welcome. Please speak to
a member of our Management for more details.
Thank you
The Management 
