Providing Outreach to Local Communities

Our Outreach Program is aimed at reaching local communities beyond our walls. By extending our impact to a wider population, we actively engage with the surrounding community. Our focus is still empowering the children to become role models in their village while raising environmental awareness.

ECO-CLUB

In March 2024, we finished the Eco-Club lessons in Nareng High School. We cannot be more proud of the 44 students enrolled in the program. From the start of the classes, they have always been very welcoming, as well as shown great interest and commitment towards the lessons. 

We are happy with the results of these two groups, and we would like to share that success with you. 

Here is some data measuring their improvement: 

• Their learning increase about environmental education was 53%. 
• 90% of the students think that Eco-Club is an important part of their education.
• 53% of the students share their acquired environmental knowledge at home with their families, friends, and village members. 

After ending with the school, Ronja, our Outreach Manager, took all the students to the Hoedspruit Reptile Centre. Numerous tales of horror circulate in the villages regarding snakes. These   creatures   frequently   resort   to   biting   villagers   in   self-defense   when   approached aggressively, as people attempt to capture them rather than allowing them the opportunity to escape -a behavior that aligns with their natural instincts.

The aim of this excursion was to make the children understand that snakes are not evil and should be respected, as every other animal. The students asked many questions to the professionals, seeming really interested to learn more about these reptiles. Most of the kids were brave enough to touch some snakes while smiling for a picture! Even one of them was brave enough to get a Ball Python around her neck! We are very happy with the positive result of the visit, which was sponsored by the Hoedspruit Reptile Centre!.

Now we have started the 6-week long program in Maahlamele High School, where at the moment 23 students are enrolled. We have great expectations for these children, as they show great interest in wildlife and environmental conservation during their lessons!

The DAKTARI family would like to thank you for your ongoing support. Thanks to YOU we can share our passion for wildlife and stress the importance of taking care of the environment. Our intention is to help these students develop a sense of collective responsibility about our future and the future of our planet.

Dear Friend,

You subscribed to email updates from Providing Outreach to Local Communities by DAKTARI Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage, a project on GlobalGiving. Here's the unedited update from the field: 

Throughout the year 2023, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to empowering communities through knowledge and education. Led by our dedicated Outreach Program manager, we've continued to make significant strides in our programs aimed at fostering environmental awareness and instilling conservation values among the youth.

Eco Club: Empowering Young Conservationists

The Eco Club stands as the cornerstone of our community engagement. Despite a temporary break during the past quarter due to school holidays, we are thrilled to announce the imminent recommencement of this vital initiative on January 22nd, 2024.

This program, conducted twice a week over a 6-week period, offers Grade 9 students an opportunity to deepen their environmental understanding. The commitment shown by the students throughout the teaching cycle has been commendable. Notably, during the reporting period, we collaborated with Leoma School welcoming 32 students and we expanded our reach to Lepono School, welcoming 42 students to our program, together with 20 students from Mahlaameme school.

The conclusion of the Eco Club sessions was marked by an inspiring end-of-class ceremony at Leoma School. Showing how the program nutured the student with a passion for conservation.

In parallel with the Eco Club activities, our efforts extended to a robust campaign centered on wildlife crime and poaching awareness. This course was designed to create personalized follow-ups, ensuring a lasting positive impact on the environment. By targeting a younger demographic, we aim to broaden our influence within the surrounding communities.

Conclusion

As we reflect on the accomplishments of the past year, we are immensely grateful for your unwavering support. The strides made in our educational initiatives and the enthusiastic participation of the students signify a promising path toward a more environmentally conscious future.

We eagerly anticipate the upcoming sessions of the Eco Club and the continued expansion of our outreach efforts, confident in the transformative power of knowledge and education.