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Africa’s Gift’s 2025–2026 annual report celebrates a year of progress in sustainable agriculture, community development and improving local livelihoods, with Malealea at the heart of many initiatives.

Highlights include the visit of His Majesty King Letsie III to Malealea in January 2026, the expansion of the Eco Cook Bag project to produce 1,000 bags, and the continued development of the Teaching Farm. These initiatives are helping to strengthen food security, create employment, share agricultural knowledge and promote environmental sustainability.

Malealea Lodge is proud to support this work, including by providing space for Eco Cook Bag production, and to see these community-led projects making a meaningful difference.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Africa’s Gift, especially Ntate Ken Dunn, whose passion and dedication have driven the organisation’s work in Malealea over the past 27 years. We also thank the Malealea Development Trust, local teams, volunteers, donors and sponsors whose continued commitment is helping to build a more sustainable future for Malealea and beyond.

Today was a special day at Malealea Lodge. We had the privilege of meeting Monica and Jana Smits, the daughter and granddaughter of Professor Lucas Smits, whose work helped establish an extraordinary project dedicated to documenting and preserving Lesotho’s ancient rock art.
Their visit was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the remarkable history of Project ARAL (Analysis of Rock Art Lesotho) and the dedicated people who have worked to preserve this precious cultural heritage for future generations.
At Malealea Lodge, we celebrate the rich cultural and natural heritage of our beautiful mountain kingdom. The ancient San rock paintings found in our valley offer a fascinating glimpse into the lives, beliefs and traditions of the hunter-gatherer people who inhabited these mountains long before modern times.

We’re excited to share that Malealea Mountain Biking Trails in Lesotho are featured in the first global edition of the World Bike Park Index! 🎉

MALEALEA, LESOTHO — For more than a decade, the road into Malealea has been part of the adventure.

For those of us who live and work here, however, it has been much more than that.

It is the road that connects our communities to Maseru and Mafeteng. It is the road travelled by children going to school, families going to hospital, farmers transporting their produce, employees travelling to work — and visitors making their way into the spectacular Malealea Valley.

For years, the final stretch into Malealea has remained a gravel road, becoming particularly challenging after heavy rain. Visitors to Malealea Lodge have become accustomed to the advice: take it slowly, allow extra time and a high-clearance vehicle are highly recommeded.

That may finally be about to change.

We are incredibly honoured that Malealea Lodge and the Eco Cook Bags Initiative have been featured in Intrepid Travel’s Q2 Supplier and Partner Newsletter as an inspiring example of community-driven sustainability and climate action. This international recognition highlights how tourism can support meaningful environmental action, sustainable livelihoods, and improved living conditions in rural communities.

Just a 15-minute walk from Malealea Lodge, you will find the Teaching Farm, which has its roots alongside the Malealea Development Trust and Rotary International and also thanks to Ken Dunn of Africa’s Gift, Eternal Flame Worldwide, the kind assistance of Kingsley Napley and Sheffield Hallam University.

Recently, we visited the farm to commemorate the life of Sue, a very special lady from Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. Sue spent much time working at the Teaching Farm with her students, leaving behind a meaningful connection with Malealea and its community. In her memory, students from Sheffield Hallam University and National University of Lesotho planted 54 wild olive trees, creating a living tribute that will continue to grow for generations to come.

Before the tree planting, Ken Dunn took us on a tour of the farm, sharing his passion and vision for sustainable and regenerative agriculture. We were inspired to learn that the farm has recently been welcomed into the global partnership of the Slow Food Movement as an official Slow Food Farm.

The farm works in harmony with nature, farming without chemical intervention and demonstrating practical ways to care for both the land and the community.

How does this work?