How do you preserve wildlife and our African wilderness, help communities form a mutually beneficial relationship with precious natural assets, and add immeasurably to your own health and fitness levels? The answer lies in a new interpretation of an old African proverb ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ It takes collective responsibility and action to preserve our natural environment and Tshembo Africa Foundation with their successful record in galvanising people across the globe and their partner, The Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation (GKEPF), know just how to do it.
The Foundation’s new initiative, Forward for Conservation, offers an exciting challenge: collectively circumnavigate the world five times (a distance of 44 000 km) using any form of natural power from walking, hiking, running, cycling, swimming, sailing etc. and motivate a sponsor to support your effort or make a once-off donation.
Forward for Conservation will be launched on September 1 and runs until September 25. Their planned awareness campaign will use the collective power of an extended network from various media platforms, personal networks, influencers, high-profile, sportspeople and those of key partner GKEPF.
‘We are thrilled to partner with the Tshembo Africa Foundation team,’ says GKEPF CEO Sharon Haussmann. ‘Their new campaign is exciting, globally inclusive and highlights not only the importance of our African and South African endangered environment and wildlife but places a focus on the future custodians of these precious assets.’
The Foundation’s goal is to raise ZAR1 million and with GKEPF, will use these funds to focus on education and teaching. Anti-poaching units and their canine division need on-going support to protect wildlife but is of critical importance to help educate the future guardians of our natural resources, young people living adjacent to the conservation areas. By increasing sensitivity and awareness of the importance of conserving wildlife, the funds will not only ‘raise a child’ but raise a generation of young people who will see our environment as a precious resource and a sector where they may well grow and thrive in a career in conservation.
It has become critical to stand up and be part of the solution and anyone who has the natural ability to move forward can be part of the success story.
One statistic alone highlights the urgent need for action. In the Kruger Park alone between 2013 and 2021, the White rhino population fell 65% to only 3000 animals and Black rhinos 35%, with only 268 animals left.
Tshembo Africa Foundation has proved through successful and effective global collaborations that anyone can take part in making these critical collaborations work. Their Walking for Hope initiative spearheaded by one foundation member, Bruce Lawson, and launched in 2020 to support people with food during lockdown, raised a ZAR882 000 donation. In 2021, Bruce attempted a world record in performing 30 000 Burpees in 10 days and raised just over ZAR1 million to support GKEPF to uplift, upskill and empower Field Rangers in the Greater Kruger area.
The late poet and writer Erich Kästner once said ‘Nothing good happens unless you do it.’ Step by step, kilometre by kilometre we can not only move forward, but advance a movement.
For further information on sponsorship and other details: www.tshemboafricafoundation.com