Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

AFRICAN NEWS

A round-up of travel news from Brussels Airlines’ long-haul network

Hotel with a view

Joy’s Camp, Kenya

Where is it? Shaba National Reserve, Northern Kenya, tel. , joyscamp.com What’s the view? The camp’s elevated position above a natural spring means it boasts fabulous views of the surrounding hills and is a great vantage point from which to spot lions, elephants, rare Beisa oryx and giraffes.

What to expect? Deluxe canvas tents with private verandas and décor that draw on Nomadic and Somali influences – think handmade glass, intricate metalwork and bright fabrics.

What you need to know? The camp is built on the site of Joy Adams’ home (the story of Joy and her husband’s adoption of Elsa the lioness was the basis for the film Born Free).

Why go there? Shaba National Reserve teems with exotic wildlife, like the Gravy’s zebra and the Somali ostrich. You can take guided bush walks along the Ewaso Nyiro River and cultural trips to the local singing wells.

What does it cost? From €292 per person all inclusive.

Census sensibility

The Cheetah Conservation Fund is spearheading a new initiative to protect one of Kenya’s most endangered species. Previously, there was plenty of space for cheetahs and humans to co-exist peacefully, but since people in rural areas have started settling in one place, rather than travelling around, there has been more conflict between the two. Now the fund is pulling together a ‘census’, charting areas where cheetahs are reportedly killing livestock. By using this data and interviewing local herdsmen and villagers, they are managing to build up an accurate picture of how many cheetahs remain in the area. They’ve also started asking visitors to Kenyan reserves to send in any photos of cheetahs that they’ve taken, in order to help with their records. If you’re lucky enough to get a great picture of a cheetah while you’re out there, send it to:

Help yourself

Soroptimist International and Women for Women International have joined forces to equip Rwandan women with the necessary skills to provide for themselves and their families. Many of these women have missed out on a formal education, and Project Independence provides training in vocational skills like sewing, basket weaving (pictured) and jewellery making, as well as offering classes on leadership, business and marketing skills. There are also sessions on HIV/AIDS awareness, family planning and accessing welfare. But for most women, the Businesswoman in Everyone seminars are the most valuable – they’ve given many of the participants the tools and confidence to build their own enterprises. One such woman is Berthed Nyirahakizimana, a separated mother of six, who runs a laundry service from home. With the funds that Project Independence has provided, she has been able to open up another branch of the laundry nearby. www.womenforwomen.org

Missives from Monrovia

British novelist Zadie Smith (pictured) has recently returned from Liberia, where she travelled as an Oxfam Goodwill Ambassador.

In a series of dispatches published in the British newspaper The Observer, Smith drew attention to the plight of the rubber plantation workers there.

The International Labour Rights Fund, along with former workers and their children, is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with Firestone over the company’s alleged use of child labour. While she was there, Smith also urged the country’s young people to make the most of their education, noting that they could be the “agents of change” in their country’s fortunes. Oxfam is currently working with the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MSCC) to improve the standard of schools in the country by renovating the buildings they are housed in and providing training for teachers. www.oxfam.org.uk

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