ADOPT-A-STUDENT
Peace parks are vital to the conservation of biodiversity in Southern Africa. The preservation of our natural resources is crucial to the maintenance and growth of the region's tourism industry and as a result, sustainable economic development. In order to ensure that peace parks have the necessary trained personnel to cater to tourists and the most up to date skills in natural resource management, the Southern African Wildlife College opened its doors in 1997 with the express purpose of training people in the skills needed to manage peace parks.
To date the college has trained more than 3000 students from southern African countries, including Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, in everything from computer skills and communication strategies to overhauling a 4x4 and dissecting an impala.
The college trains existing natural resource managers from the region in conservation, eco-tourism, administration, community development and natural resource management skills. Every year 50 natural resource managers, predominantly officials already in service in a conservation agency, are selected for training.
At the end of their training at both the College and their place of work, the trained managers will be able to supervise operational activities in order to maximize efficiency; exercise leadership of people involved in these activities in order to enhance their performance and productivity; implement, supervise and evaluate management planning practices, e.g. integrated catchment management, plant and animal management, security and legal aspects and cultural heritage management, in order to monitor progress and performance against planned goals; understand ecosystem components and processes; use firearms competently and maintain area integrity; and promote conservation understanding through cooperation with local communities, environmental education and tourism facilitation.
The inhibiting factor is that most of these students receive little or no financial support from their governments and thus need to source their own funding to be able to develop their skills and knowledge.
CASE STUDY
Fiona Macleod from the South African Mail & Guardian newspaper interviewed one student and wrote the following about the benefits of training at the College:
“Miriam Namushi comes from a dirt-poor family in rural Zambia kept alive by women. She knows the meaning of relying on natural resources for survival.
“As a woman, I am fighting to keep the wild animals for future generations. People say environmental crimes are not like stealing or murdering, but I trying to show them the environment matters”.
Namushi prosecutes between 12 and 15 cases a month in western Zambia.
The Zambia Wildlife Authority nominated Namushi for training at the college. Most of the students, like Namushi, were separated from their children for a year to study. However, like other women who graduated with her, Namushi believes getting more women involved in environmental matters is imperative for the future of the planet.”
Peace Parks Foundation launched the Adopt-A-Student program in 2005, to help students like Miriam Namushi to improve their qualifications, develop their skills, obtain the latest information on natural resource management and adapt new technologies to their work, through their studies at the Southern African Wildlife College. The interaction of the students from all over southern Africa also eases cross-border liaison once they have returned to the various wildlife authorities and peace parks.
The gift is a once-off yearly donation to the amount of R60,000 or equivalent. The donation will cover a student's accommodation, training, books, transport, tuition, field-trips, meals and refreshments throughout the course.
Benefits of the Adopt-A-Student program:
- Tax-efficient donations in Germany, UK, USA and South Africa
- A special certificate from the Adopt-A-Student program, acknowledging your support
- Regular feedback about the progress of your adopted student
Any corporation, foundation, trust, embassy or individual can Adopt-A-Student.
Contact Prof Willem van Riet on +27 (0)21 887-6188 to obtain more information about Adopting a Student at the SAWC.
FOCUS
The first ever sponsor of the Adopt a Student program was Charly Gräf, from Germany, who sponsored a student from Malawi, Henry Kadaume, in 2005. Charly attended Henry's graduation ceremony in October 2005 and describes the experience as “the most exciting and unforgettable experience of my life”. As a result, he decided to renew his support for other student in years since - a really outstanding contribution making a real difference to conservation and lives.
ADOPT A STUDENT SPONSORS
- Karl Heinz Graf
- Rallen (Pty) Ltd
- D Schlettwein-Gsell
- Ferdinand Graf
- MP von Mautner Markhoff-Cassis Faraone
- Mrs Vera Michalski-Hoffman
- MWJ Smurfit
- Dr Hans Luc Hoffmann
- PE Mouzaki
- Rosmarie Meier-Berchtold
- Dott RF Magnoni
- Maurice ET Noemi de Rothschild Foundation
- Robert W Miller
- Andre Hoffmann
- Pierrette Schlettwein
- Hansjürg Saager
- Ms E Meaker