The mission of DAKTARI is to educate and inspire local children to value their environment and stimulate community development. DAKTARI Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage works in the South African bush to educate local children about the environment and ignite their passion for wildlife. Each week, DAKTARI welcomes eight new students to our camp to attend lessons, do activities, and interact with the animals in our wildlife orphanage.
The Limpopo province, where DAKTARI is situated, is blessed with an incredibly rich natural heritage. Unfortunately, a high unemployment rate and a poor public education system has become a huge burden on the local community, leading to an increase in poaching, and widespread poverty. We believe that in order to stop this vicious cycle it is key to empower the local community, and most importantly, to educate the younger generations to build a brighter future for them and for South Africa.
Through an engaging educational experience, we give local children the opportunity of exploring their rich natural environment through interaction with injured and orphaned animals in the middle of the bush. We empower these children to protect their native heritage as well as to pursue careers within ecotourism, a strong economy in the area. Moreover, we supplement their school curriculum with one-on-one lessons to increase the children's self-confidence.
After a week at DAKTARI, many children become aware of the importance of their environment. These children go on to take action in their local communities, encouraging proper waste management and respect for animals, as some examples of protecting nature. Our impact is to have inspired the DAKTARI children to make a difference in their community. We believe that education is the best tool to achieve sustainable conservation of Africa's beloved natural heritage.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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