Tongabezi is moving forward with Benjamin Parker’s family and friends at the helm.
It has been a painful time for our Tongabezi Family. We are mourning the loss of a father and a leader. The support from the local community and from our international friends has got us through the last few weeks. Hundreds of people poured in from all over Zambia to pay their respects and hold vigil with us, and more will be coming from all over the world. Our plans to celebrate Ben’s life continue well into this year.
It is this support and love which has helped us to decide the best way forward for Tongabezi as a community and as a business. Vanessa Parker has been at Ben’s side for the past 27 years. She founded and has been running the Tongabezi Trust School on an entirely volunteer basis for the past 23 years. This award-winning school sits directly behind Tongabezi and changes the lives of hundreds of local Zambian children every day. Vanessa, more than anyone, understands the direction that Ben wanted Tongabezi to go in, and will, therefore, be taking over as Managing Director.
However, Vanessa will not be doing this alone. Rudy Boribon will continue in his role as General Manager of Tongabezi, as he has been for the past 16 years. Tongabezi has gone from strength to strength under Rudy’s gentle guidance. In fact, if you look back, Ben was able to take a lot more holiday time after Rudy joined the team!
Ben’s brother Stephen, and Ben’s good friend, Scott Morgan, will also become more active in their roles as Directors. Ben’s daughter, Natasha, has been working for Tongabezi in a marketing capacity since 2012, but more extensively since 2017, and she will now take up the role as the Marketing Manager. Look out for Natasha at WTM, ILTM, WAA and Experience Africa this year, as she would love for you to pop over and say hello.
Tongabezi has never been stronger. Vanessa, Rudy, Stephen, Scott, and Natasha will be carrying Ben’s passion, excitement, and ideas forward, but so will the chefs, waiters, guides, valets, gardeners, drivers, receptionists and other members of the Tongabezi Family, many of whom were at Ben’s side when Tongabezi was nothing more than a few fragile tents and bucket showers filled with outrageous plans.
Honour will continue in her role as European marketing representation supporting Tongabezi marketing efforts as she has done for the past 15 years along with Rosalind Hind in South Africa and Johann van Zijl in the Americas.
We hope that our friends all over the world will be as excited as we are to keep riding on Ben’s coattails and see where we end up.
Contact Tongabezi Lodge
Web. www.tongabezi.com
Email. reservations@tongabezi.com
Tel. +260 213 327450
