Under privileged learners benefit from conservation studies

HOEDSPRUIT – A group of six primary school learners from grade six and seven were recently invited to the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) near Hoedspruit to assist in the theoretical assessment of students busy with studies at the college.

The learners were sponsored by four members of Africa Wild, an international Internet conservation forum. The sponsorship was in the form of a challenge received from one of its members in the United States, Ms Elaine Kruer, who pledged R2 500 towards an environmental education project for disadvantaged South African kids.

This duly led to further generous donations from Ms Melanie Gorsler from Germany, Ms Dewi Edwards from Wales and Ms Anne-Marie Rosset from Switzerland. The Mbombela office of Africa Wild sponsored T-shirts for the kids involved and the event was a huge success.

The Southern African Wildlife College was conceptualised in the early nineties and eventually established by the World Wide Fund for Nature in South Africa (WWF-SA), the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF), provincial and national government departments, other conservation agencies and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The chief executive officer of the Peace Parks Foundation told Lowvelder that, “Since its inception, the college has trained over 12 000 people from 46 different countries, mostly in the SADC region. It is not only giving us hope against the poaching scourge, it is also giving the students hope of a better future.”
At the moment 25 students from seven different provinces across South Africa, as well as one from Zambia, are busy with their training in the Environmental Leadership Module.

This training allow the students, who previously had little access to development opportunities, to pursue a career in the conservation sector or to further their studies having gained the necessary credits.
The training includes a four-month session at the Wildlife College where learners complete various theoretical training modules including environmental leadership, environmental education and first aid. Reptile handling and an unarmed field-ranger training component forms part of their two-months practical work during placement in state-owned nature reserves.
The six learners from grade six and seven, come from various schools in the Bushbuckridge area. Spokesperson for Africa Wild, Mr Richard Prinsloo, told Lowvelder that this project was very close to their hearts.”We have been saying that communities around our national parks hold the key to the future of the parks and the animals in them. By supporting this module at the Southern African Wildlife College, we feel that we are helping to lay this foundation to a better future. We teach the learners to be proud of their inheritance.”