By Felicia Hansen | Fundraising Manager
At DAKTARI, the past weeks have been intense, challenging, and deeply meaningful all at once. While we were preparing to welcome children back in mid-January after the school holidays, unexpected flooding forced us to postpone the first week of our program. Our immediate focus had to shift to safety, repairs, and maintenance after the heavy rains. Although this delay was disappointing, we cannot wait to welcome the children back very soon.
Despite these challenges, important and inspiring things have been happening at DAKTARI.
In December, we had the honour of welcoming 16 community stakeholders to the camp, including village chiefs, teachers, and community members. Together with Camilla and Michèle, we hosted a guided visit followed by a shared lunch. This gathering created a rare space for dialogue between people who do not often sit together. Conversations touched on respect, boundaries, consent, and collective responsibility, and sparked new ideas on how communities can support talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including possible shared sponsorship for mathematics and English education. It was a truly heart-warming reminder of the power of collaboration.
At the same time, we continue to strengthen our role in frontline conservation education. Recently, we welcomed PAWS (Protection Assistant for Wildlife Security), a local anti-poaching brigade. They gave an impressive live demonstration with their highly trained dogs, showing how they track scents, locate suspects, and assist rangers in protecting wildlife. Children, volunteers, and staff were captivated. A few days later, our volunteers were invited to join an actual patrol in the surrounding bush, where dozens of snares were found. This powerful experience highlighted the very real and ongoing threat of poaching in Limpopo Province and reinforced why education and awareness are so critical.
Thanks to your ongoing support, our education program remains strong. Before the flooding, we successfully increased our capacity from welcoming 8 children per week to 10, allowing us to reach even more young people from nearby villages. As soon as repairs are completed and it is safe to do so, we will resume welcoming children and continue empowering them to care for nature, wildlife, and their communities.
Thank you for standing with us through both progress and challenges. Your support allows DAKTARI to remain resilient, rooted in the community, and committed to creating long-term change.
With gratitude,
The DAKTARI Team
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By Felicia Hansen | Fundraising Manager
By Felicia Hansen | Fundraising Manager
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