The Tongole Foundation was founded due to the sad loss of Vitu Kalanga.

In 2007, Vitu Kalanga was traveling home from football training in Kent and whilst on that journey he was involved in a collision which sadly resulted in his sudden death at the age of just 16.

Vitu’s family and their friends, the Cole’s, decided to do something incredible in Vitu’s memory. They decided to create a two-part project:

1. A sustainable tourism business which would create employment and training opportunities in a very deprived part of Malawi.
2. A children’s education and Wildlife Conservation charity (The Tongole Foundation) which would support 3 schools initially but with much bigger long-term plans.
   The business is called Tongole Wilderness Retreat. It took over two years to physically construct and is the only high-end lodge in the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, with breathtaking views over the Bua River, it provides a truly exceptional experience in this pristine region.

The construction of the lodge created over 100 jobs and Tongole now has around 30 full time employees. This has far reaching benefits with 1 employed person directly affecting the lives of over 20 people!

The Tongole Foundation was created to transform the lives of the local communities living around Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve.

The Charity was registered in December 2010, Registered Charity Number: 1139568