RECYCLING

• Kurisa Moya separates and recycles all the tins, bottles, cardboard and plastic from the organic matter.
• The compost from the organic matter is used on the vegetable garden.
• Fresh produce from the vegetable garden is enjoyed by staff and guests.

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

• Kurisa Moya is electricity-free.  Lodges have solar lights and gas appliances

WATER MANAGEMENT

• Water is precious at Kurisa Moya, so we use only showers with low flow showerheads and post notices to our guests asking them to conserve water wherever possible.
• We wash full loads of laundry using cold water and dry everything in the sun
• Our grey water runs onto the gardens which have indigenous plants.

CONSTRUCTION

• We have used a small footprint for our venues and have used existing roads. 
• Kurisa Moya’s venues have been built using local builders and building material.

Local bulders constructed the new office at Kurisa Moya

LOCAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT  

• Our staff are all based in local villages and towns.
• Kurisa Moya supports local entrepreneurs and cultural enterprises including local wood carvers, artists etc
• Our carbon offsetting programme benefits local schools and crèches
• Kurisa Moya’s Donation programme has various options for supporting local schools.  Guests can choose from a variety of donations ranging from stationery to solar panels, fencing or computers. 
• Directors and staff give environmental talks on special days, linked to an activity.

• The local school's Enviro-club has opportunities to experience and learn about other habitats and issues such as litter, conserving water, alternative sources of energy, peace gardens by entering some national competitions
• Kurisa Moya organises talks at assembly or target groups by guides who explain the nature of their jobs and how they have made a career of it. 
• Projects are run to find points of interest in their communities. (Also collecting of stories, myths etc). 
• We support village home-stays where our guests experience Sotho culture first-hand
• We pay fair prices for goods and services sourced locally.

Building with cob is a creative process

ALIEN INVASIVE PLANT MAINTENANCE

• We have a 3-phase alien plant removal programme and are clear-felling our pine and gum plantations in order to restore the indigenous forests.
• Local wood-cutters make a living from cutting wattle for firewood.
• We use only organic herbicides

CARBON FOOTPRINT  

Our lifestyles are responsible for excessive carbon in the atmosphere, resulting in global warming.  As responsible world citizens, we can reduce our carbon emissions and plant trees to offset our carbon footprint.

• Guests can offset their flight carbon footprint or that of their annual household’s usage in an environmentally and socially responsible way
• Bolamahlo Community Nursery provides Kurisa Moya with indigenous trees on a bulk-buy basis and these trees are planted in local schools, central areas in villages as part of a greening project or on Kurisa Moya in reclaimed areas. 
• Kurisa Moya staff and directors make sure they are living a carbon-neutral life.
• Eight tons of carbon is being fixed by the wattle growing on the farm per annum.  By utilizing this wattle for firewood, we are saving indigenous forests. This provides Kurisa Moya with Carbon Credits in order to offset our gas usage and fuel usage of vehicles and the generator.   Nine bakkie-loads of wattle are cut and taken each week by a local cutter (six tons a week).  

David Letsoalo helps Masia Lama learners plant trees

The greening project has the support of Masia Lama learners

Cobbing creatively

YOU CAN ALSO HELP… 

By offsetting your carbon footprint though planting trees, you are contributing to a better world.  By planting those trees in poor, rural schools and crèches, you are providing children with shaded areas to sit, as well as beautifying these often barren places. 

By donating just R180.00 to Kurisa Moya’s carbon offsetting fund, we will plant seven trees in your name and maintain them at the schools or crèches where they are planted.  This will offset your carbon footprint from a return trip from Johannesburg. 

Of course, any contribution to this greening project is welcome, so give whatever you can afford to offset the carbon footprint of your own lifestyle and travel. 

We also support our local rural schools, crèches and orphanages with other donations, such as paper, toys, clothes, stationery, art supplies, vegetable gardens etc.  With bigger donations, we contribute towards fencing or solar panels. 

When you see the excitement and joy on childrens’ faces, giving becomes an addiction.  If you would like to experience this, you are welcome to join us on a trip to one of the schools, crèches or orphanages we support. 

Kurisa Moya also tries to make a difference by supporting the Eco Schools Programme and by encouraging learners to take an interest in their environment through talks, projects and outings.  If you have any expertise in these areas and would like to contribute an hour of your time, the learners are excited participants. 

Speak to Lisa or David for more information.