Nsegue Dance_Lion Festival 2022

Every November, since 2009, the Niassa Lion Program and partners organise a two-day community festivities for the residents of Mbamba village and surroundings. It is an annual tradition.
Activities like races and other fun competitive games with conservation themes that include both children and adults – theatre, art, races, car toy design and race, three-legged relay game, women running with a bucket of water on their heads and the goat and corral game – are part of the festivities.
The aim of these events is to make conservation fun and to raise awareness of the plight of the lion and Niassa. The whole concept it is about ‘’to change the perception that conservation is only about saying “NO!” to local lifestyles and practices. Instead, we use these festivals to spread important positive messages about safe behaviours, safe shelters, and the importance of all animals. Most of all the aim is to remind the community that conservation brings benefits. Lion Fun Days are all about celebrating conservation, honoring the name of our project “Niassa Carnivore Project”, having fun and binding the reserve and its communities together’’.