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Passion turns to action: The story of the founder of Koru Camp

From a successful New Zealand entrepreneur to a forward-thinking conservationist in the far reaches of South Africa, Peter Eastwood’s story is one of compassion, determination and personal transformation.

To the many wonderful supporters and beneficiaries of Koru Camp, Peter is a kind and gentle soul with a funny accent and a permanent smile in his eyes. He is the founder of Koru Camp and the driving force that keeps us moving forward and pushing boundaries in search of more ways to help and connect our rural communities with nature. “As an entrepreneur, I was fortunate to build up a home brewing supply and manufacturing company.”

“However, after selling the company in 2018 and retiring shortly after, I am delighted to be finally following my passion. I fell in love with South Africa through the words of Wilbur Smith, although my love of rugby was also a big drawcard! I have always felt a strong pull to the continent which has only grown stronger the more time I spend here,” he said. He first got interested in conservation in 2007 in response to the rhino poaching crisis.

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“I was in iMfolozi in KZN when I heard about the poaching of rhinos in the park. It was devastating to learn that such a magnificent creature was at risk of extinction by human action and I felt compelled to help. Through the then Section Ranger, Lawrence Munro, as well as Sheelagh Antrobus at Project Rhino, we raised money from my existing suppliers and customers as well as from organising overland camping trips.”

“All the money raised was then used to directly support conservation projects on the ground,” he added. While working with Project Rhino, his good friend Kingsley Holgate introduced Rhino Art and that opened his eyes to the huge need for quality conservation education. “Ultimately, people have the power to save or destroy our wild places. Thus, we cannot ignore people when it comes to conservation.”

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“The only way we can truly safeguard our wildlife for the long term is by instilling love and understanding in the communities surrounding our reserves. How do we do that? By including them and letting them experience and enjoy nature for themselves,” added Eastwood. He said he would love to see multiple camps throughout SubSaharan Africa. “Our vision is 24 camps at least. The need for these camps is huge and they have a profound effect on those that get the opportunity to attend.

It is my dream to reach as many people as possible and create real, measurable change. Anytime I am in camp observing the happiness and awe that I see on the children’s faces is such a special moment. However, talking with the Grannies – learning their stories and seeing how much our camps mean to them is extra special and something very close to my heart. I would bring quality environmental education into the school curriculum,” he added.

Also read: Koru unlocks Kruger to children adjacent to park

Eastwood started eating plant-based when he understood that you can thrive on a plantbased diet whilst significantly reducing the pressures that animal agriculture puts on the environment. “As an avid traveller and owner of an international company, my carbon footprint was a real worry for me. Going plant-based was something concrete I could do to reduce that. Soon afterwards, I noticed a huge improvement in my health and also started to understand the terrible life that domestic animals had. Ultimately, it begged the question, should we be saving rhinos on one hand and killing animals for food unnecessarily on the other? For me, the answer was clear,” he concluded.

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Anwen Mojela

Anwen Mojela is a journalist at the Letaba Herald. She graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Journalism at the Tshwane University of Technology. Including an internship and freelancing, Anwen has four years’ experience in the field and has been a permanent name in the Herald for nearly three years. Anwen’s career highlights include a water corruption investigative story when she was an intern and delving into wildlife and nature conservation. “I became a journalist mainly to be the voice of the voiceless, especially working for a community newspaper. Helping with the bit that I can, makes choosing journalism worth it.

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