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2009-12-03 : SOUTHERN AFRICAN WILDLIFE COLLEGE 2009 GRADUATION CEREMONY
On 5 November 2009, 27 rangers and conservation staff from five African countries graduated from the Southern African Wildlife College. The College was established in 1997 thanks to the support of WWF South Africa and Peace Parks Foundation who shared the vision of building the capacity of staff in wildlife areas. Every year students from across the African continent are trained in the essential skills of managing parks and conservation areas. The College's training programmes have a real effect on conservation as graduate students continue to take up more senior positions in many of Southern Africa's most prominent wildlife areas. “What seems a relatively small group of people at a graduation ceremony results in these areas being managed more effectively and ultimately ensuring their sustainability, said Lameck Mumba, a graduate from Zambia.  On the photo, Lameck is standing with his sponsor, Charly Gräf from Germany (right). Toyota SA has for the past two years sponsored a Conservation Outreach which enabled the College to visit 61 former students from 41 different protected areas in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Over 90% of these students have been promoted since graduating from the College. In her address, Theresa Sowry, Executive Manager of Training at the College emphasised the importance of being able to meet these students face-to-face and determine to what degree the College training had benefitted them, as well as ascertain the challenges they face in their present employ in order to adapt future training courses. The guest speaker was a former student, Mr Jabulani Mazibuko from EKZN Wildlife, who encouraged the graduating group by saying, “Today conservation is 27 times richer, as I am convinced that you are all going to plough back what you have learned here. This course is well packaged for people to go out in the field and perform. The knowledge is very practical and applicable. What you have is a portable qualification, in my case it enabled me to make a career switch from being a field trainer to becoming a community conservation officer.”. Several organisations in South Africa have recognised the need for conservation of our natural resources and have supported the College by way of awarding bursaries to students to be trained at the College. These include Afrisam, Anglo American, Daimler, De Beers, Hans Hoheisen Trust, KFW, the Mackenzie Foundation, Mitsubishi Corporation, the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa, the Southern African Conservation Education Trust, the Tony & Lisette Lewis Foundation, and Charly Gräf from Germany. The graduates were robed and handed their certificates by Dr David Mabunda (right), Chief Executive of South African National Parks (SANParks) and also the Chairman of the College Board of Directors, as well as Countess Sylvia Labia, who is also a College Board Member. Several awards were handed out during the ceremony, and the award for best student went to Lameck Mumba from Zambia; a WWF SA award for the Best South African student went to Wayne Oppel from SANParks; Lydia Khosa from Kruger National Park received the Rosie Sturgis award for the most improved student; Shadreck Shilumesi was awarded the ABSA trophy for the best financial managemet student; and four students received scholarships from the Southern African Conservation Education Trust to enrol in the 2010 Advanced Certificate course. [source: Peace Parks Foundation]