By Jo B | Senior Fundraising Executive
In this update we highlight the impact our conservation support is having in Guinea and Zimbabwe and how this is helping communities, the environment and wildlife. Thank you for your support.
Guinea
Guinea is a country with a huge rate of illiteracy, especially within rural communities. The few children that attend school often do so in very bad conditions, with an education curriculum that ignores most environmental topics – something essential when living within a national park. DSWF supports a vital education programme in Guinea, which aims to improve children’s environmental and conservation knowledge with the hope that, when they become adults, they will be more aware of the consequences of human activities and be open to involvement in community development and sustainable livelihood programs.
The education team in Guinea has grown greatly in the past year, from one local educator to five, and now has an additional two volunteers and a Director of Conservation Programs. During the current school year, the team has reached around 420 children from seven different schools in one region, and another six schools and 220 children in the northern region – who are all now receiving the two-year environmental education programme.
Year one of the programme focuses on the basics about the environment, such as the water cycle and the role that decomposers play on the regeneration of the soil. The second year focuses more on conservation efforts and the consequences of human activities that are harmful to the environment. They learn about the different ecosystems of the national park, conservation, how human activities act upon different aspects of the ecosystems, and how to alleviate these impacts. Through this we can inspire a new generation of conservationists passionate about their home and the wildlife that share it.
Zimbabwe
DSWF continue to support the Bush Camp in the Hwange National Park, which in the last 12 months has seen over 800 young people attend, including Belinda – a 12-year-old orphan who lives on the border of the National Park. Belinda attended the Bush Camp last year, along with 33 other classmates. During the four-day camp, they saw painted dogs for the first time in their lives. As part of the Bush Camp activities, Belinda participated in a play called “Teach Your Children Well”, in which she played an orphaned painted dog, whose father is killed in a snare. At the end of the camp, Belinda told camp teachers she wanted to help stop poaching in her home village.
The very first day after Belinda returned home, she was walking through the forest with her best friend, Nomusa, when they came across a Kudu injured in a snare. Belinda was horrified and wanted to find someone to help release the kudu. Nomusa was hesitant and did not want to anger the poachers. Belinda told Nomusa, “Don’t you know that a painted dog could be caught in a snare and be killed? And that painted dogs need kudus to eat?” These are all things she had learned at the Bush Camp during the previous week. Belinda convinced Nomusa to help her find an adult to help them with the kudu. Together, they convinced the head of their village to return and cut the kudu free. Then, the villagers walked through the forest together and gathered 15 more illegal snares that had been set to trap animals.
This heart-warming story highlights the incredible impact of the Bush Camp on local communities, which we are very proud to be supporting.
Did you know DSWF has been delivering free of charge assemblies, talks and workshops to schools, youth groups and children’s clubs in the UK for over 20 years? Find outmore on our website: https://davidshepherd.org/education/dswf-at-your-school/
By Jo B | Supporter Care
By Jo B | Supporter Care & Database Executive
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