Tinolla Rodgers

What is Tinolla doing on a day-to-day basis to address systemic barriers and social norms in the industry?

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Tinolla Rodgers creates numerous opportunities for women within the Mayuni Conservancy in the remote Eastern Zambezi Region of Namibia. An area where there is no running water, no electricity and women stay at home to look after siblings or their own children with no form of income, no opportunities to learn a skill, no career opportunities and not much hope. During Covid, Tinolla employed a group of women and provided sewing and recycling skills at The Sijwa Project by African Monarch Lodges. They have received professional training from seasoned Namibian and South African Fashion Designers and now craft designer label garments and bags. They have grown from strength to strength and their garments have made it onto the run ways of SA Fashion week 2022 and Miss Supranational 2025. These same women make thousands of reusable sanitary pads annually which the Sijwa Project donates to young girls who used to miss a week of school due to a lack of access to sanitary pads in rural communities of the Zambezi Region and Namibia at large. The artisanal skills and permaculture principles trained at The Sijwa Project these women get to take home with them and implement within their own village. The Sijwa Project through Tinolla’s passionate and unwavering leadership has developed confident individuals who are beacons of hope within their community. Tinolla’s tireless efforts have seen the establishment of a Vocational Residency where she plans to train and mentor young women in various other skills such as Hotel Management, computer skills, business management, secretarial skills and more. Tinolla believes her purpose is to empower the women in her community through the conservation initiatives she has established with her lodge portfolio which is located in the pristine wilderness of the Bwabwata National Park, located in the worlds largest conservation area for wildlife.

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Can you tell us about a project that Tinolla has worked on or led where she has developed effective strategies that promote women's advancement in tourism?

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African Monarch Lodges’ Nambwa Tented Lodge and Kazile Island Lodge is a Joint Venture Collection located in the Bwabwata National Park, Eastern Zambezi Region, Namibia, in the heart of KAZA, the World’s Largest Conservation Area. As part of their continued endeavours for their brand to be sustainable and give back to the community and conservation, Dusty and Tinolla Rodgers launched The Sijwa Project in November 2018. The Sijwa Project opened its doors to its first guests in January 2020. Tinolla now a widow leads the Sijwa Project with her tenacious spirit. The Sijwa Project is the re-purposing and re-inventing of all recyclable waste from the African Monarch Lodges; Nambwa Tented Lodge and Kazile Island Lodge, as well as from the local community and neighbouring lodges. The Sijwa Project is a holistic balance between conservation, community, culture and commerce on a piece of land released by Honourable Chief Mayuni within his area in the Mayuni Conservancy. The creation of exquisite saleable craft and jewellery pieces is an organic process that morphed out of the artisanal skills training centres where local community members were recruited from and empowered. Fashion design; embroidery; sewing of garments, bags, tablecloths & pillowcases /cushions for sale to guests and the lodges. Re-useable pads are created to help the young girl child remain in school throughout the month. The chilli bomb bricks are made from cardboard, elephant dung and chillies and are set alight to deter elephants from community crops in the Mayuni Conservancy.

Can you give us an example of how Tinolla is working to support the advancement of new skills and provide learning opportunities?

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She brings to The Sijwa Project international and local fashion designers who spend 2-4 weeks with the sewing and jewellery design team to teach the women of The Sijwa Project new designs which have made international and national fashion run ways. These designers keep changing so the women improve their skills every month.

Tinolla Rodgers is a qualified hotelier & owner of The Sijwa Project & African Monarch Lodges. Tinolla & Dusty Rodgers built the collection and established The Sijwa Project, the heart of African Monarch Lodges. Dusty left this world in 2022. Tinolla continues to lead the lodges, upholding their vision through The Sijwa Project. Her passion for her team, community development and conservation of the African wilderness ensures African Monarch Lodges thrives as a symbol of resilience and hope.