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 Zanzibaris in the village. The aim of the Management of the Resort is to ensure that guests visiting our beautiful island have the opportunity to see Zanzibar culture from a local perspective. Hence, we introduced free tours to the village as part of our program.
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 woman available at the dispensary, many woman are forced to travel long distances to hospitals that specializes 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, built a maternal clinic that opened on 23 December 2013 and handed over to the Ministry of Health. The hospital will assist pregnant woman from the villages of Khandvi and Pwanimchangani.
Education
There are about 638 children enrolled at the school in Pwanimchangani aged 6-20.
Primary School Children: (ages 6-15) 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 the fisherman practicing an art form that has been on-going for generations. Fishing is the biggest income earner in the village of Pwanimchangani, followed by agriculture. Much of our fresh 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.
Village Facts:
Population of Pwanimchangani: 2500 People
Children enrolled in School: 638
Average income per person per month: Less than $ 3Literacy: In Adults 35%
Further Education: 5%
Computer literacy: Less than 1% of total population
English literacy: Less than 1% of total population
Average people per family: 6Seaweed sold to the Philippines and the USA –
For use in ropes, food preservatives
1 Kilo pays Tsh 120 (10 US Cents)
