Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife

by DAKTARI Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife
Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife

Project Report | Sep 24, 2025
Growing Our Impact for Local Youth

By Felicia Hansen | Fundraising Manager

Lethabo with her favorite animal of the week!
Lethabo with her favorite animal of the week!

We’re excited to share that our Inspiring Youth to Care for Nature and Wildlife-program is running smoothly — and next week, we’re taking a big step forward!

Thanks to your donations and the help of our dedicated volunteers, we now have the resources to welcome 10 children every week instead of 8. This means even more young people from rural villages will get to spend a week with us learning about nature, caring for animals, and discovering how they can protect their environment.

At DAKTARI, we’re not just teaching, we’re empowering young people to break cycles of poverty and grow into confident, critical thinkers and active citizens. We tackle some of the biggest challenges faced by rural youth:

  • Limited education opportunities: We go beyond textbooks, offering practical environmental education, life skills, and a safe space for children to ask questions and develop critical thinking.

  • Social stigmas and low confidence: Many children come to us shy or unsure of themselves. Through teamwork, daily responsibilities, and mentorship, they gain self-esteem and learn that their voices matter in their communities.

  • Lack of environmental awareness: We inspire children to see wildlife as part of their identity and future, fostering a culture of care, responsibility, and democratic participation in protecting their natural heritage.

Your support makes all this possible. Together, we are inspiring a generation of children to dream bigger, act with confidence, and care for the natural world around them.

Remember, you can follow more of our daily work and stories on:

With gratitude,
The DAKTARI Team

P.S. We have volunteering opportunities open! If you’d like to join us in the bush, work alongside the children, and help sustain our mission, we would love to welcome you. Read more here!

Friday ceremony after a week of teaching program!
Friday ceremony after a week of teaching program!

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Organization Information

DAKTARI Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage

Location: Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province - South Africa
Website:
Facebook: Facebook Page
X / Twitter: Profile
Project Leader:
Michele Merrifield
Founder
Hoedspruit , Limpopo Province South Africa
$86,073 raised of $100,000 goal
 
1,811 donations
$13,927 to go
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