A little 'taste' ( excuse the pun) of Africa as we share with you how to cook an African staple food of 'pap'. This is one of the main foods eaten by the Tsonga communities around Nourish Eco Village, and if you come on a Shik Shack tour, or come spend a week or 2 volunteering you will almost certainly have pap for one of the meals.  Enjoy! 

 Two years ago I had never heard of Plogging - the new environmental craze founded in Sweden and now literally sweeping the planet.  Now the activity involving running whilst picking up rubbish has literally changed my life.

The unimaginable scale of plastic production, coupled with an equally mind-boggling littering culture across the globe, has put immense pressure on our beautiful planet. It has never been easier to access disposable items, with convenience taking the lead over environmental responsibility and, unfortunately, it’s Mother Earth that suffers the most. With over 8 million tonnes of rubbish entering our seas and oceans every single year, our waterways and the wildlife that inhabit them are literally choking at the hands of human carelessness and ignorance. However it’s not just marine life in far off locations that are suffering. In my hometown of London, England, wildlife is dying simply because a small but significant part of the population are simply too lazy or just don’t care enough to put their rubbish in the bin. Foxes, Badgers and even the famous Deer of Richmond Park, all mistaking our single use plastic for food which then clogs up their digestive systems. How crazy that something like a bottle of water which takes 5 minutes to drink can sit in the environment for literally hundreds of years!
Something needed to be done to break that cycle, so when co-founder Michelle sent me an article about the latest eco fitness craze we had to give it a try. Our first plog was held in a small corner of London and with both a running and a walking group, in which 16 of us collected over 30 bags of rubbish from the local community. The event was a huge success and with that Plogolution was born. What better way to bring people together to make a difference?
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Since our first plog we have held over 50 events across the UK and even as far as The United States , bringing people together of all different ages and backgrounds, and giving them a platform to give back to our planet. We soon realised it was also an amazing platform for people to make new friends - meeting people that they potentially wouldn’t otherwise interact with in everyday life - as well a chance to get active and a different gateway into what can sometimes be an intimidating fitness world. This really was the perfect opportunity for people to improve their minds, bodies and their planet.

The first community plogs brought our attention to one group in particular. The children. At every plog we had such incredibly passionate young children attending with their families. Clearly aggrieved at what old generations were doing to the environment, they were keen to fight back. We soon set up our first Primary school plogging club, with most schools heading out on a weekly basis for just a 20 minute run or walk around their local community in a bid to make it that little bit cleaner. Our aim was to both educate and empower our young people so that they had not only the passion to change the world, but also the platform to do it. In just over a year our now 34 plogging schools have collected a staggering 4,019 plastic bottles, 4,321 cans, 1,495 glass bottles and 41,938 cigarette butts!! Those figures are huge already but just imagine the stats if thousands of schools across the world were plogging just once a week, it’s enough to blow the mind!

​Nourish and a new way of living:
Every young girl has dreams for her future, and mine was travelling. I dreamt of travelling and in that
way, exploring many different cultures and gaining experience in life. I dreamt of living my life
independently and doing it all by myself. As I got older this dream could become reality the moment I
got the opportunity to do my internship at Nourish in South Africa.
Hi! I am Alessia Garlisi, a dreamer and communications student at PXL College in Hasselt, Belgium. As
a young girl, I loved travelling. The further, the better. When I got my diploma from secondary
school, I got the opportunity to volunteer in Ethiopia, but I didn’t do it. Everyone knows the story
about a girl falling in love and wants to be with him no matter what. Well this is what happened to
me. I fell madly in love with my best friend and don’t get me wrong I am still in love, but there was
something missing. I felt the need of more in life, like discovering the world and meeting new
cultures.
In my second year of University there was a presentation about doing your internship abroad. I saw
this as an opportunity and I immediately searched for an interesting country. I chose South Africa.
Why? Well, that’s simple; South- Africa is such a beautiful country with beautiful cultures. I wanted
to experience a new culture and this as far as possible from home. In that way I wanted to challenge
myself in being independently and to open myself for a new way of living.
Now in my last year as a student, I have chosen to live in a rural area and to work in an organization
that minds about the health of people, animals and the environment of Hoedspruit South-Africa.
Nourish is the perfect organization, they work so hard to fight poverty and poaching. They inspire me
in being a better person and to give more about the world or country I live in.
I believe that during my time at Nourish, I will grow to be a better person and be more helpful not
only for people and animals, but also for the environment. I will learn more about the culture and
how to live back-to-basics. However big the differences may be in South Africa, I am ready to take on
the challenge!

My name is Jadwinia, I am a CSR manager in the international media company Dentsu Aegis
Network. In 2016, I received the "Employee of the Year" award. This award is financially and
any award-winning employee can decide how to spend it in accordance with its
development or current role in the company. I decided to spend this money on volunteering
in Africa.
My dream was to look at how the NGOs in the world work, what volunteers fight on the spot
and I wanted help in the field, and not from behind the desk in an elegant office building in
Warsaw.
I decided to work for 3 weeks in the Nourish organization located next to the Kruger Park. I
liked their holistic approach to helping the local community, education and elements related
to environmental protection. I also had the impression that the work of volunteers is well
organized.
A few weeks of preparation, establishing contacts thanks to CSR Dentsu Global Team in
London, short training in London in the organization Global Giving and ... I started the
adventure of my life in South Africa.
In Nourish, positive energy, good attitude despite various difficulties, lots of ideas and happy
people nearby are unique. I also liked the diversity of projects and the ability to try many
things. One day we went to nearby schools with donated books, on another day I worked on
the capsules of Moringa powdered leaves, and the next day we persuaded the local
community to look after their dogs. In the afternoons, I played with children in the library. I
was open to what would happen to me. 3 weeks is definitely not enough to feel the impact.
Or maybe this "impact"  is sometimes only a smile, a good word, simple gestures and
showing that I CARE?
It was definitely a great lesson of gratitude for what we have (basic things: access to water,
electricity, education), but also a clash with stereotypes about "poor Africa". In fact, the
children who came to Nourish every day often do not have their own beds, wardrobes full of
clothes, extra activities, but they did not look unhappy. They have beautiful nature, clean air,
are surrounded by family, they feel free. Sometimes I would like it for my children in Poland
:)! The only thing that I think is missing is good education and that's what Nourish does.
Volunteering is one of the best ways to get to know the real, beautiful Africa (or other place
on earth). I am very happy that in this way I realized my prize.
Come here and try it! Thank you Nourish Team for an unforgettable time!