Opening of Fish Heaven Ecolodge - July 2026
Fish Heaven Ecolodge has recently opened its doors to visitors and paying guests and is located along the shores of the magnificent Lake Malawi National Park - UNESCO World Heritage Site. Apart from offering visitors a relaxing garden and views of the lake, fine accommodation, excellent meals and refreshments - there are also numerous activities to enjoy in this unique, peaceful environment.
Fish Heaven Ecolodge is the income-generating part of HEEED, the Malawian NGO founded in 2004 by WWF Finland. Since its creation, HEEED (Health, Education, Environment & Economic Development) has been dependent on grants and donations to operate its varied activities related to the health and well-being of both Lake Malawi National Park and the surrounding community of Chembe village.
For more information, bookings, and inquiries check our Accommodation & Activities page.
HEEED at the NYCOM Youth Summit - August 2026
HEEED was proud to participate in the recent NYCOM Youth Summit at BICC, where three of the staff members showcased creative recycling skills. The team demonstrated handmade paper production and the transformation of discarded bottles into reusable tumblers, highlighting how waste materials can be given a new purpose.
HEEED trained divers from the National Parks and a HEEED diver showcased underwater garbage removal through diving during the visit of the Minister of Industrialization, Trade and Tourism to Lake Malawi National Park (LMNP), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The initiative demonstrated our commitment to protecting Lake Malawi and promoting responsible environmental practices.
New Creative Recycling Initiative - February 2026
At HEEED, we believe that creativity can turn waste into something useful and beautiful. Through our Creative Recycling Initiative, we encourage young people and communities to explore innovative ways of reusing waste materials while developing practical skills. Recently, a Finnish volunteer joined us in working with children, teaching them crocheting and painting skills through fun and creative activities.
NYCOM-HEEED CENTRE - September 2024
NYCOM is the parastatal National Youth Council of Malawi. HEEED consultants and staff ran an environmental and diving course for 22 youth from throughout Malawi. This course was funded by NYCOM as part of the NYCOM-HEEED 3 year ongoing collaboration. During this course students were taught environmental biology, entrepeneurship in developing a tourism programme, diving, and paddle boarding - among other activities. Shane Strieby is seen here training an individual in how to use paddle boards, his youngest successful student, and a sunset, inspirational pose by Shane on a paddle board.
National Park Cape Maclear Manager Emma Saukani
HEEED participates actively in Chembe Village community and the victorious HEEED triathlon (bicycling, swimming and running) team pose with the National Parks Manager who was a leader in the organization of this community event held in LMNP and Chembe Village.
HEEED has an active educational, and nutritional programme for children and also believes that play is important for the development of children. Here the children are watching birds with Edgar and Emily, watching fish behavior on the IPAD of HEEED Trustee Ken McKaye, while also enjoying HEEED’s playground. Shane Strieby is introducing the children to Dolly HEEED Trustee Alison Wiklund’s new Donkey.
Planet Earth 3 - February 2024
The BBC released Planet Earth 3 with an episode in the Freshwater series showing Malawi Play Dead fish, (Nimbochromis livingstonii), engaging in its unique hunting behaviour. This important programme has increased greater recognition of the importance of Lake Malawi’s unique flora and fauna – particularly for visiting tourists to Malawi. HEEED thanks the BBC team for joining us in 2022 and congratulates them for their great work and HEEED hopes that you enjoy this 5-minute video clip of a unique fish behaviour - only found in Malawi!
In 2024, HEEED, was chosen to manage Building Change Adaptive Capacity in Malawi’s Eastern Region project and received letters of support from 5 Malawian Government Ministries for the attention of the African Development Fund.
A number of international film documentaries have been made by Japanese, French and the BBC in the UK. In the latest documentary (2023), HEEED collaborated with the BBC team led by Sir David Attenborough entitled Planet Earth 3 Fresh Water Episode 4 - featuring the "play-dead” fish (nimbochromis livingstonii) - a unique creature in Lake Malawi that captures its prey by pretending it is dead.
Very recently, the Malawian press published two articles – featuring the HEEED female diving team and their successful removal of under-water garbage from Lake Malawi National Park: this has led to a creative recycling and a flourishing team of artists in HEEED Handicrafts….Also HEEED was recently featured in the MBC video. This also coincided with HEEED’s donation of two mud-stoves to the kitchen of the girls’ dormitory at Chembe Secondary school, while their students also learn to make fuel briquettes and give the school a weekly supply.
In 2022, a private donation to the NYCOM-HEEED CENTRE, gave young children new playground facilities which have become a popular part of the HEEED Children’s Educational Programme.
In 2020, HEEED signed an MOU with NYCOM (National Youth Council of Malawi) and established the NYCOM-HEEED CENTRE, Chembe – where diverse activities have continued and are expanding. With the Malawi Entry Visa now waived, HEEED isparticularly focused on welcoming an increased number of foreign visitors to the Centre, to appreciate and buy HEEED Handicrafts, to go diving, snorkelling and enjoy other tourist attractions of Lake Malawi National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In addition to promoting activities in the tourist sector, HEEED is also collaborating with the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare; Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Wildlife; Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining (Dept. of National Parks); Ministry of Transport and Public works; Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development, Malawi Children’s Village, Chembe Secondary School – particularly focused on health issues impacting on both communities and the environment. HEEED also has an MOU with Malawi National Parks.
In 2017, a number of individuals (including 2 HEEED Trustees) founded the Finland-Malawi Association with the aim of strengthening the links between the 2 countries. This initiative has lead to HEEED’s participation in the World Village Festival for the first time in May 2018.
Since 2010, HEEED has also been promoting a social enterprise related to the tourist sector entitled Cape Maclear Scuba Shack Diving. The income generated from both these entities funds all the HEEED community activities, bilharzia research, educational, orphan-care and Volunteer programmes. HEEED also signed an MOU with NYCOM (National Youth Council of Malawi) and they jointly created the NYCOM-HEEED CENTRE in Chembe, Cape Maclear.