Yoga in Malawi

“ My family has been in Malawi for four generations, my children being the fifth. Makuzi Beach was originally founded by my mother, Jane Jackson, in 1992 while she was running overland trips following the Livingstone mission trail. On one of her visits to the area, the Chief of the village asked if she would like a piece of land. When she saw the bay that was being offered she had a vision for Makuzi. She returned to the south of Malawi where we were living and sold her scuba diving and safari business and overnight moved to Makuzi in February of the following year. For the first 8 months she lived in a tent while she started clearing the land and built the first hut to live in. In this time she had to contend with tornados, sickness and isolation.
Bandawe, where Makuzi is situated, is one of David Livingstone’s second mission sites. It was malaria that drove away Dr Robert Laws and his surviving missionaries in 1926. Before moving to Livingstonia, they systematically dismantled all their buildings, leaving only the church. However, my mother had modren medicine on her side, and a constant trickle of volunteers. They were so inspired by her enthusiasm and drive that people often found themselves staying longer than they had planned, helping her build her dream.
On October 11th, 1997, my mum died in a paragliding accident, aged 45. My brother Desmond Jackson and I inherited Makuzi Beach.
At the end of 1993 I had moved up to help help my mother with the start of building and laying the gardens...”

Lara Pollard, who wrote this article, continues on to describe the support given to the local village both in terms of finance and self-help.