Malealea Development Trust

The impact that a flow of foreign visitors can have on a community this size is significant. We wanted to ensure that we channeled that impact in a direct and positive manner, so in 2002 we founded the Malealea Development Trust.

Maealea is a beautiful place filled with hard-working, vibrant people. It is also a place with serious problems. HIV is highly prevalent in Malealea. Education is not free or universal. Most families are still living at subsistence levels.

The Malealea Development Trust has a staff of seven people, all of whom are from this area. It is a small, local organization. No one understands the systemic causes of Malealea’s problems better than they do and no one is better positioned to develop and implement sustainable solutions.

Lebona Primary, supported by MDT, photo by Kelly Benning
students of Lebona Primary School, for which the MDT constructed three new classrooms in 2016

The Trust works tirelessly every day to fill in the gaps of care that our government doesn’t reach. They refurbish our crumbling and overcrowded schools; They teach our students how to use computers; They provide nutritional support for people who are HIV positive; They provide scholarships to students who have lost their parents so that they can continue going to school;They teach community members more efficient farming techniques to increase yields; They provide microloans to local entrepreneurs to stimulate income and employment. They do all of this and so much more.

The MDT’s offices are located on our property. They collaborate with us on our Village Tours, and we contribute proceeds from those tours to their salaries. Glenn Jones, our general manager, is a Trustee and assists with the MDT’s invaluable computer training program.

MDT computer training, photo by Kelly Benning
Glenn Jones and MDT staff member Khotso Au training local primary school teachers

We ask that while you are here you please get to know some of the work that we are doing together. You can check out their website to read much more about their numerous initiatives.

We also collect donations in the reception office. School supplies, clothing, and books are always appreciated.