Children in the Wilderness (CITW) operates Eco-Clubs in the various communities with which we work. These Eco-Clubs take place at the rural schools and follow a structured. Eco-Clubs give all learners who are interested in the environment a chance to meet, learn, discuss and expand their knowledge of environmental issues. Eco-Club lessons also cover various life skills topics. CITW assists with suggested community projects. Working closely with the communities of Sinde Village in Livingstone in Zambia, the CITW Programme has facilitated the implementation of various projects ranging from reforestation, ladies entrepreneurial and craft workshops, rehabilitation of the community school – Twabuka, the construction of teacher’s housing, implementation of boreholes, and a scholarship programme.
In an effort to promote awareness of endangered species, a topic covered in Eco-Clubs, CITW Zambezi Region coordinators invited Grade 7 Eco-Club members from selected schools to participate in field trips in and around Livingstone. The Eco-Club members were taken to Mosi Oa Tunya National Park where they walked with the rhinos and visited the Livingstone Museum, which has an informative section on natural history.
Mosi Oa Tunya National Park is home to eleven of the country’s total population of thirteen rhino. During the walk, the group were lucky enough to see a mother with her three-week old baby. These animals are known to be intensely private and territorial, so we were extremely fortunate to get near enough to see them in their natural habitat. The knowledgeable Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) guards who follow and protect these amazing creatures 24/7, gave the students an informative and passionate talk emphasising how important it is for each of us to play our own part in ensuring the longevity of this species.
The Eco-Club members expressed how grateful they were that they were able to see rhinos up close, but many commented on how sad it was that the animals were not able to roam freely and had to be protected by armed guards at all times. After the rhino walk, students were encouraged to design posters and draw pictures that promoted all they had learnt that day. To further promote their commitment to conservation, each student pledged to protect wildlife and the environment in which they live and were presented with a Pledge Certificate and a wrist band with the words “My Wildlife, My Heritage, My Future” to wear as a reminder of their responsibilities as young conservationists.
The visit to the Livingstone Museum with its wonderful interactive displays and information on other endangered species in Southern Africa, served as a consolidation of the day’s activities. Other areas of interest were the history of the area following Livingstone’s journeys, as well as many other fascinating artefacts that encouraged question and answer discussions between the curator and students.
On one of the field visits, American students and teachers from Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina USA, joined the field trip. Groups of students from the school come to Livingstone annually and a highlight for them is to join the CITW Eco-Club programme, meet and interact with the Zambian students and participate in activities organised for them by CITW. They too, pledged to look after their wildlife and environment and were very keen to garner support for the plight of the rhino on their return home.
The three CITW Field Trips included 90 local students, all of whom are involved in their school’s Eco-Club, 15 American students, an accompanying teacher from each school, members of a French media team as well as team members of the CITW Zambezi Region. These trips were hugely successful and we’re pleased to say that whilst much was learnt, many new friendships were formed and our budding conservationists plan to lead the way to a brighter future for our wildlife.
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make” – Jane Goodall
