URGENT: Community & Child Safety Alert – Action Required: No Sweets or Food Handouts Along the Road

Dear Partners,

It has come to our attention that visitors are stopping along the road to distribute sweets and biscuits to local children. While we understand this is done with good intentions, we must urgently ask that this practice stop immediately.

Over many years, we have worked closely with community leaders and chiefs to discourage roadside begging. Unfortunately, these actions are undoing that progress and creating serious risks:

Safety: Children are now running alongside buses and vehicles, and we fear that one day there could be a tragic accident.

Community Impact: Giving out sweets encourages begging, which harms both the children and the relationship between our lodge, our guests, and the surrounding villages.

If you would like to donate sweets, biscuits, or any other items, please deliver them to the Malealea Development Trust when you arrive at the lodge. The Trust will ensure they are distributed responsibly and at the right time to children who are genuinely in need.

For the wellbeing of the children and the sustainability of tourism in Malealea, we kindly urge you to instruct all groups and individuals not to hand out sweets or food along the road.

We greatly appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter. Together, we can ensure a safe and respectful experience for both guests and the communities we all value.

Kind regards,
Malealea Lodge Team