We recently visited Get Africa's heart project in Mabibi to present this year's Christmas gifts to the football team, which this year consisted of football boots, footballs and socks. This has become one of the nicest traditions the team has and looks forward to all year. Since I started working with Get Africa in September, they have spoken so warmly about Mabibi and I can feel the great love they have for this place and the people there.

And this time I was lucky enough to be there!

Get Africa has been involved in the local community in Mabibi since 2010 and especially the football team. Since then, we have been cheering on football which we see creates community, dreams and self-confidence. We have brought many guests here and the common denominator is that the joy of football is both felt and spread.

Mabibi - picture

This year's Christmas visit

This year I went up to Mabibi with Elin, Graham and our big football enthusiast, Martha. It was really special to see and explain how the local community has developed over the last 20 years. It all started with the primary school which is located in the heart of the village. Here the roof, floor, learning materials, kitchen and water supply have been improved step by step. Not least the quality of learning. And now we have decided to give the frail toilets a real make-over. Over the New Year, Get Africa will provide brand new facilities with proper toilets, sinks and new walls. We can't wait to come back to see the results.

How it all started

On the drive up to Mabibi, Graham enthusiastically told us how his love affair with Mabibi began. Growing up, Graham traveled to this area with his family every summer, and it held a special place in his heart. No wonder he took Elin here on one of their first dates… in a tent! It was probably both the first and last time. But after a few years, they found Mabibi and Thonga Beach Lodge run by the Isibindi Foundation. They fell head over heels for this coastal gem. There’s something very special about the combination of pristine beach, silky-smooth water and bustling wildlife. Plus, the hotel details are the icing on the cake, and it’s hard not to take everything from handmade placemats to delicious organic skin products home in your suitcase.

The best part is that Thonga is run by local staff from Mabibi. There is something special about seeing children who started school many years ago, watching them grow out of football boots after football boots and now receiving excellent service from them at Thonga. With warm smiles they greet you with care and gratitude for choosing this particular place. It is their home and they wear it with pride, which is noticeable in everything they do. There is always something new to learn about the wildlife here from the experienced guides. With turtles as long as an adult and as wide as a juvenile, this destination is suitable for the whole family.

The local guides take you on evening walks to look for the turtles that come up to the beach to lay their eggs, you can dive, go on a boat trip, cycle on the beach, snorkel or just relax with a good book. Now they have even created a Beach Gym, here there is everything for every taste. And last but not least, you will roll out of here, because the food is top class!

We look forward to coming back!

We are so proud of what the local community has achieved, and a big thank you to Isibindi who do a phenomenal job of strengthening the local community, preserving nature and sharing knowledge about the vibrant wildlife. As Graham says (with a twinkle in his eye), “if you don’t like Thonga it’s your own fault.”

Written by: Ine Sofie Kristiansen