Help children in rural South Africa see wildlife

Since September, the Foundation has been sending children from Hammanskraal regularly into the neighbouring game reserve. I had the pleasure and privilege of going along on one of these trips. 

I heard the game viewer before I saw it arrive, as its passengers were all singing a song they had written about lions. There was plenty of excitement all round, from the children, from the guide from our partnering lodge – Mongena Game Lodge – and from the teachers, who themselves had never been on a game drive before. Despite living on the very borders of a wildlife reserve, the community members from Hammanskraal don’t have the means to pay for a safari. Most of them go their whole lives only seeing big 5 animals on television, even though they live right next door to them. It’s inspiring to be able to offer them this experience. 

So off we went, full of anticipation in spotting our first animal. Our first find was an impala. Although very common in the bush, they really are beautiful antelopes. Everyone listened to the guide’s explanation of an impala and its place in the eco-system. I was struck about how quiet and attentive the children were. 

We had been driving for about another 10 minutes when I saw the face of the little boy near me; his jaw dropped and he sat with his mouth wide open. His face then turned into a huge smile. We had driven round a bend and met a big male elephant having breakfast on the side of the road! He was no more than 15 metres away from us, very calm and contented in the early morning sun. I was amazed that the children remembered the guide’s instructions to keep their voices down and not to move around in the vehicle. This marked their first sighting of one of the Big 5 - and what a beautiful one it was. 

We went on to see at least 8 giraffes, warthogs, kudu and a very large water monitor lizard. With every sighting, the guide carefully explained about the animals and how every one of them helps contribute to the balance of nature. After the game drive we had lunch - which for most of them would have been their only meal of the day. 

It’s easy to become blasé about seeing animals, but for these children and teachers it’s an experience they will never forget. If this inspires just one of them to be interested and to work in conservation to help preserve these precious animals, then this project will have been a huge success.