Working with communities

With the aim of promoting sustainable practices Born Free’s Global Friends Programme is helping to enhance environmental education. These 15 school and community projects are linked with Born Free’s conservation projects in communities facing significant environmental challenges, many of these challenges also impact wildlife such as lions, elephants, chimpanzees, sea turtles and more.

Hendrik Kanise Combined School in the Eastern Cape of South Africa is one such project. Home to 3,872 people poverty is a living reality in the community. Residents mostly rely on government grants and pensions. As a result students at the school are malnourished and this has a great impact on education and their learning. This also indirectly impacts the local wildlife due to a lack of knowledge about key issues such as the impact of poaching and human wildlife conflict.

Sadly the school is isolated and far from all amenities.  This makes it difficult for them to secure government funding for identified projects and local fundraising efforts provide just a drop in the bucket. 

Assisting the school by providing school lunches and improving access to water improves the ability of the school children to engage with their education. Through the school’s environment club, they are also better able to participate in the protection of their local wildlife.

Last year, thanks to your support, the school was able to host a workshop, to promote learning about the local wildlife and the importance of wildlife protection with the local community. In addition Born Free was able to provide bins, water tanks and garden tools.  This equipment has enabled the school to grow vegetables and ensure a clean drinking water supply as well as water for the garden.  The school is now also able to supply the community with water when Municipal water is not available.

Please help us support these communities, neighbours to some of the world’s most iconic wildlife and habitats.