Safari Stories: “I’ve started believing in myself”
In the second edition of our blog series, Safari Stories, waitress Mpo Silengano shares her personal story of hope, loss and discovering her passion.
In March 2022, I was looking for a job because I could not continue my tertiary education due to financial problems. I was very lucky to get an opportunity with African Monarch Lodges at Nambwa Tented Lodge to look after the baby of the new manager. I accepted the job because I believed it was my first step into life. I loved my work and I did it with all my heart.
After three months, my boss decided to leave Nambwa Tented Lodge. I had a strong desire to discover new places around my country, so I decided to move with them. We went to Fish River Lodge, which is more than one thousand kilometres from my home. But after two months, I wanted to come back. I could not adapt to the cold environment, and for other reasons too.
I phoned Tinolla, the owner of African Monarch Lodges, and I shared with her about my uncomfortable stay and my wish to return home. She kindly helped me with everything I needed. She sent me money for food and transport, and made sure I arrived back safely.
“I started believing in myself”
Tinolla gave me a wonderful opportunity to start working as a waitress at Nambwa Tented Lodge. I was very thankful and I accepted it, even though I had no idea what being a waitress meant. I received training directly from Keenan Collins, the lodge manager. At first, it was very tough, but I never thought of giving up.
As the days and months passed by, I started loving my job more and more. I started believing in myself and I became able to serve guests on my own. Today, I am a proud waitress at Nambwa Tented Lodge. Being a waitress means the world to me because it gives me a chance to meet people from many different countries. I enjoy my work very much because I have a passion for giving the best service and making sure my guests are happy.
“I am proud to say I am part of this family”
African Monarch Lodges is a family-run business. It is led by Tinolla, while Nambwa Tented Lodge is managed by her son, Keenan. Olga Blom, Tinolla’s mother, manages The Sijwa Project. This family spirit flows throughout the company. It makes us, the staff, feel like we are part of one family too. It makes me feel included, helped, and heard. I am proud to say I am part of this family.
Through my work, Tinolla also gave me a chance to enrol in an online course to follow my dream of becoming a writer. But at that time, I was pregnant, and my pregnancy made it difficult for me to continue studying. So, I had to wait until after my maternity leave.
Tinolla never gave up on me. She introduced me to The Sijwa Project, where there is a vocational training centre. There, I started learning computer skills to help me with my dream. I also did tourism classes and I passed all my lessons.
The Sijwa Project is a very special place. It recycles and reuses waste to create beautiful things like necklaces, earrings, clothes, and aluminium decor pieces. It also has a training centre that supports young people from the community.
Later, Tinolla offered me another big opportunity. I was selected to become the first in-service hospitality management trainee. This programme is linked to an internationally accredited hotel school where I will study for my hotel management diploma. This makes me very happy and I am excited for my future.
“The pain is still there, but I keep moving forward”
After this, I went out for my maternity leave. Sadly, it did not go as I hoped. On the 10th of April 2025, I lost my precious baby boy. He was my first child. It is very hard for me to accept what happened because I do not know why.
But I believe he has gone back to heaven to be my little angel. I will always love him, and I will always keep his presence around me. I am very thankful for the love and care my family at African Monarch Lodges showed me during the most painful time of my life. The pain is still there, but I keep moving forward.
“The spirit of Nambwa flows like the Kwando River; it never runs dry”
If someone asked me to describe Nambwa Tented Lodge, I would say it is a paradise in the middle of the Bwabwata National Park where every expectation is met. It is truly heaven on earth. The spirit of Nambwa flows like the Kwando River; it never runs dry. I am proud and thankful to find myself part of this marvellous family. I enjoy every minute being at my workplace.
My mother has also been working with African Monarch Lodges from the very beginning. I love working together with her. Very soon she will be retiring because of her age. But I am here to continue and be the second generation.
Now I am looking forward to starting my new opportunity. I am very excited and grateful. Sometimes it feels like a dream because it is hard to believe everything that has happened to me.
To read the first blog in our Safari Stories series, click here.