The Sijwa Project: “Where tourism doesn’t just observe Africa, it uplifts her”
“The Sijwa Project was born out of a desire to honour the natural world, uplift our communities, and redefine what luxury in Africa could look like. Not excess, but meaningful, conscious impact.”
This is how Tinolla Rodgers, owner and Managing Director of African Monarch Lodges, describes the journey of our conservation and community empowerment projects. Her guiding hand, passion, and resilience are what have given the lodges their purpose. This has led to recognition such as the Meaningful Engagement Champion ATTA Award in 2024 and recent mentions in publications such as Africa’s Eden Travel and Forbes.
Here, Tinolla shares some insight into the significance of the Sijwa Project, and her vision for a more meaningful and intentional world.
How has the Sijwa Project grown with African Monarch Lodges?
What began as a response to the pressing need to deal with our lodges’ waste material in a remote wilderness has blossomed into a living, breathing movement of purpose.
Since its inception, The Sijwa Project has inspired so much more than repurposed waste. It has sparked hope, created employment, and rekindled traditional skills. It has become a vessel through which we breathe new life into discarded materials and into people who may have once felt discarded too. Each piece handcrafted at Sijwa tells a story of resilience, of reinvention, of rootedness.
In tandem with African Monarch Lodges, The Sijwa Project has grown into a cornerstone of our operations. Waste from Nambwa Tented Lodge and Kazile Island Lodge is no longer an endpoint, it’s a beginning. A beginning that sees glass reborn as jewellery, tin as homeware, and plastic transformed into bricks. Guests now experience this circularity firsthand, connecting more deeply with the land and its people.
Together, The Sijwa Project and African Monarch Lodges have become symbiotic. The lodges generate the flow of materials, inspiration, and guest awareness, while The Sijwa Project nurtures the cycle of sustainability, creativity, and community empowerment. Through this partnership, we’ve created a model where tourism doesn’t just observe Africa, it uplifts her.
“The Sijwa Project was born not in ease, but in one of the most challenging chapters of my life. It took root at the height of COVID, when the world felt fragile, tourism came to a sudden halt, and the future was cloaked in uncertainty.”
What challenges have you faced in getting the project off the ground? Anything you would do differently?
The Sijwa Project was born not in ease, but in one of the most challenging chapters of my life. It took root at the height of COVID, when the world felt fragile, tourism came to a sudden halt, and the future was cloaked in uncertainty.
We were isolated in a remote wilderness, with limited access to tools and materials, and no guests walking through our lodge doors. Financially, there were no safety nets.
But those were not the only battles being fought.
While I was trying to breathe life into a project built on hope and circularity, I was also walking beside my husband on his journey with cancer. The very foundation of our lives, our family, our lodges and our dreams were trembling and still we planted the first seeds of The Sijwa Project.
At the same time, I was gently working to shift mindsets within the surrounding community. Sustainability was a foreign word, circularity an abstract concept. It took time to build trust, to show that waste could have worth, that skills could be learned, that beauty could rise from what was once thrown away.
Looking back, if there is one thing I would do differently, it would be to ask for support earlier. I carried so much in silence, believing I had to prove the dream before inviting others in. But I’ve come to understand that the most powerful movements are never walked alone. Perhaps, I would have softened toward myself. Allowing space for grief, for growth, and for grace. Because while the world paused, and my heart was breaking, something extraordinary was being born, a sanctuary of renewal for both people and planet.
The past year has seen African Monarch Lodges and The Sijwa Project attracting an award and some noteworthy feature articles. Has this had any influence on your future plans?
It has indeed been a beautiful year of recognition from receiving an award to being featured in global publications. While I’m incredibly grateful for the spotlight, it hasn’t changed the essence of who we are or how we run African Monarch Lodges. If anything, it has only deepened our commitment to our purpose.
At our core, we remain grounded in the same values that shaped us from the very beginning. Sustainability, authenticity, and heartfelt connection. The accolades are affirmations, yes, but they’re not the reason we do this. They are echoes of a deeper truth, that when you lead with integrity, the world begins to take notice.
Of course, the media attention brings new opportunities. More people are discovering our lodges and learning about The Sijwa Project. With that comes a sense of responsibility to keep telling the story honestly, to stay rooted in the land and the community, and to never lose sight of the “why” behind the “what.”
It has reminded us of the power of storytelling, and how vital it is to use that platform to elevate the voices of our team, our community, and the wilderness that surrounds us.
Success in the media isn’t measured by headlines, but by how many lives we touch, how many habits we help shift, and how deeply our guests leave feeling transformed.
“For me, the most powerful shift will be a move from passive eco-friendliness to active, community inclusive conservation. It’s no longer enough to reduce harm, we must start healing and that healing begins with education.”
African Monarch Lodges is becoming a trailblazer for eco-tourism. What do you predict for the future of sustainability in the hospitality space?
The future of sustainability in hospitality isn’t about lip service or trends that fade. It’s about reimagining what it truly means to welcome our guests into a space not just with comfort, but with consciousness.
We’re entering an era where tourists crave more than just beauty, they seek meaning. They want to know, “whose lives are touched by my stay?”, “what impact will my stay make?”. Sustainability is no longer an option, it is the foundation on which trust, transformation, and truth must be built.
For me, the most powerful shift will be a move from passive eco-friendliness to active, community inclusive conservation. It’s no longer enough to reduce harm, we must start healing and that healing begins with education.
Right now, African Monarch Lodges is embarking on a beautiful collaboration with Lessons in Conservation, an organisation to help us ignite a new flame of awareness in our local communities. Together, we are working with grade six scholars from our local schools, guiding them to become conservation champions. These children are not just learning about wildlife and the environment, they are discovering their voice and their role as future custodians of this land.
This is the future of sustainable hospitality, where every guest becomes part of the story, and every child can see themselves in the future they’re helping to protect.
At African Monarch Lodges, we believe that true eco-tourism is intergenerational. It’s not just about preserving ecosystems, it’s about nurturing a mindset that values life, in all its forms.
The lodges of tomorrow will serve as sanctuaries not only for guests but for purpose and the most visionary hospitality leaders will be those who understand that we are not owners of the land, but caretakers, passing it on with reverence to those yet to come.
The Sijwa Project In the News
The Sijwa Project’s commitment to responsible tourism has continued to chart new territory. Its impact has gained recognition from around the world:
- Africa’s Eden Tourism featured an in-depth profile by Lorraine Kearney in Untamed Chronicles, describing Tinolla’s journey, unwavering dedication to sustainability, and resilient spirit.
- Digital Tourism Think Tank honoured Tinolla on Women’s Day for her contributions to responsible tourism.
- Forbes acknowledged Tinolla as a trailblazer for women in the sustainable travel sector.
- The Sijwa Project was honoured with the Meaningful Engagement Champion ATTA Award in 2024, reinforcing its significance in the global eco-tourism landscape.
To find out more about the Sijwa Project, download our brochure.
