December 2007
Children in the Wilderness: Namibia 2007

From the 3rd until the 16th December 2007 Children in the Wilderness Namibia hosted 47 orphaned and vulnerable children at two camps. Wilderness Safaris closed the doors of Desert Rhino Camp in the private Palmwag Concession to paying guests and opened them for the exclusive use of its young VIPs!

Children from Rundu, Tsumeb, Opuwo and Bergsig were able to enjoy the wonderful scenery and wildlife that this remote camp has to offer. This incredible location provided a unique opportunity to educate the children about the wildlife, birds and plants of the area and to introduce them to conservation in ways that they can take back to their own communities. The children were amazed to see many animals for the first time, such as desert-adapted elephant, gemsbok, giraffe, Hartmann’s mountain zebra and the endangered black rhino. For many of the kids this was the first time they had ventured outside of their small communities, and it was a real privilege for Children in the Wilderness to be able to show them the incredibly rich and diverse habitats that are part of the country they live in.

A highlight was rhino tracking, where, with the assistance of the ‘Save the Rhino Trust’, a non-profit conservation organisation that has a joint venture with Wilderness Safaris, the children were able to track and view the endangered desert-adapted black rhino from a safe distance.

Another conservation-related activity was the Elephant Walk and worksheets in which the children learnt about the desert-adapted elephants, the conflict between humans and elephants and also why it is important to protect and conserve them for future generations.

As well at conservation and wildlife themes running throughout the 6-day programme, Children in the Wilderness helped the children to gain a sense of self-empowerment, resilience, skills and knowledge that will fortify them in their lives. With this in mind the children were given the opportunity to learn more about HIV/AIDS. Role-plays, games and discussions were used as ways for the children to understand more about HIV/AIDS in a fun and interactive way. Themes of respect and responsibility were used to arm the children with the tools necessary to be able to protect themselves in the future.


On the last night the fun began early with the campers being escorted to their special seats at the newly invented ‘Rhino Restaurant’. After the magnificent braai (barbeque) the CITW Extravaganza began with gusto as the party-goers played traditional party games such as apple bobbing and a new twist on pinning the tail onto the donkey – pin the horns and tail on the rhino! The night ended with the camp tradition of “Wishes” – a ceremony where each camper writes down his or her dearest wish, and then places it in the campfire.

Thus, Children in the Wilderness Namibia was able to make 47 young lives change for the better. We hope that the children who participated in these camps have been inspired with a new sense of hope and belief for their future and for the future of their natural environment.

CHILDREN IN THE WILDERNESS CREATES A NETWORK OF LEARNING SANCTUARIES WHICH UPLIFT, CONSERVE AND CARE FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR PLANET