!Xaus Lodge relief fund

ABOUT

A CRY FOR HELP!

Dear friends,

!Xaus Lodge is the pride and joy of our local ‡Khomani San and Mier communities. Originally abandoned in the desert and regarded as a “white elephant” by its community owners it has since become an iconic destination in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and the major contributor to the livelihoods of our staff, who between them support around 250 family and extended family members.

Sadly, the Coronavirus pandemic has decimated our business and forced us to close our doors, probably until December, according to our Minister of Tourism. Right now, our thirty-two loyal and amazing hospitality staff, guides and resident crafters are sitting at home wondering about their futures. Sadly too, the lodge is again standing abandoned in the desert waiting for the world to return to normal.

We are determined that !Xaus Lodge will not become the “white elephant” its owners once feared it would be. But in the absence of any guest income, we need your help to achieve this. Together with your support we can protect the livelihoods of our crafters and local staff as well as protect !Xaus Lodge from the elements. Then when the time is right, it can re-open and again enable visitors to understand why it is that the ‡Khomani San say “once you have the red sand of the Kalahari in your shoes you will always return.”

We invite you to donate to this initiative by buying one, or preferably more, tickets in our community benefit appeal. You may be one of the fortunate two, that wins a fully inclusive two-or three- night stay at !Xaus Lodge, in the heart of the Kalahari, or at the very least receive a guaranteed discount on your next booking with us, to a value greater than that of your donation.

The TFPD Foundation is a registered NPO and will administer these donations. It has undertaken not to charge any administration fees. This means that 100% of your contribution, after Quicket’s 4,5% service fee, will go to the cause you want to support.

These funds will be utilised towards the unavoidable fixed costs of the community owned !Xaus Lodge like staff salaries, insurance, diesel, emergency maintenance & repairs on items like our generator and water pump. This is to stop the lodge falling into a state of disrepair that we will not be able to come back from.

The situation for !Xaus Lodge and its wider family of ‡Khomani San and Mier hospitality staff, guides and crafters is dire as there is no guest income at all, nor will there be until at least December 2020 and even that is not certain. Please help us save our lodge & the livelihoods of the people we care about….

By Donating to this cause you will:

·      ENTER THE DRAW TO WIN A TRIP TO !XAUS LODGE 

·      BENEFIT FROM A GUARANTEED DISCOUNT ON YOUR NEXT BOOKING

·      HELP US TO HELP OUR PEOPLE.

UPDATE: Thank you to all the incredible people that have taken part in this initiative so far. The overwhelming response has brought many of us to tears of joy. Our competition draw for the 30th of June has come to a close and we will be drawing the winners and announcing them on our Facebook page as well as contacting them directly, but this is not the end. We have decided to carry on with this campaign and give a new set of incredible prizes away at the end of December so please read the ticket details for all the info. This support has put us in a much stronger position to weather this storm but we are not out of the proverbial woods just yet. your continued endeavours will not be forgotten by the humans of !Xaus Lodge. May God bless you and your family in these tough times.