Providing Outreach to Local Communities

First of all, we hope that you and your family are keeping well during this crisis, and our thoughts go out to those who have been impacted by the virus in any way.

Despite Eco Club and Campaigning being on hold due to this crisis, we are still moving forward with our Outreach program in different ways:

• Lesson content: We are currently making sure that we are up to date with the latest guidelines to follow regarding human-wildlife conflict. We are also looking at ways to make the lessons more engaging whilst learning from the students and make sure that their voices are heard. 

• Educational vritual games: We are currently looking for ways to keep in touch with our learners during the lockdown. We found a virtual game where the students would be in charge of a nature reserve and would have to do everything in their power to keep their animals safe from poachers. This is great game as it tackles the whole management of a reserve and would make them feel responsible for the animals. 

• Checking on students: we have been in contact with our students in order to see how they are doing during these uncertain times. We found out that they are taking the lockdown very seriously but they are all looking forward for schools to re-open!

• Giving food parcels: We are also going out to the villages to deliver some food parcels to the people that need it the most. We are not encouraging any gathering of people which is why we are the ones going from house to house delivering the goods while keeping our distances with people. This is very important for us as are here to help support our community facing some very challenging times.

We cannot wait for better times and to resume with the Eco Club and Outreach campainging as soon as possible!

Stay safe.

We hope you had a good start of the year and that 2020 will be a year to remember! A lot has been going on at DAKTARI and we are very excited to update you on our Community Outreach Program.

After saying goodbye to our Job-Hunting Program, our outreach team came up with the idea of Outreach Campaigning.

As environmental education is at the core of our organisation, we felt the need to reach as many children as possible to empower them to bring positive change to the communities and to their country.

How does it work?

When the children are busy writing exams, DAKTARI takes that time to raise awareness about environmental issues in 6 additional schools we don’t usually partner with.

This is a time to reach a wider public of students from the surrounding villages where poaching and environmental degradation is still a big issue.

Every two months, the outreach team and volunteers go to these villages for an afternoon of fun and engaging teaching games. During the campaigns, the students learn about wildlife crime, anti-poaching, protection of environment and waste management.

The campaigns are a way to widen our impact to the surrounding communities, as we will reach approx. 200 additional children per year. They are Grade 7 children, who will potentially join our onsite Environmental Education program the following year, so we can really follow up with the children year after year! 

It is time to look back at what we've have achieved with you during the year!  

The 12 past months have been filled with lots of joy and challenges.

Thanks to your support, we were not alone! You were there to back us up and your trust means the world to us. 

We are very proud of our impact and made a short video inviting you to the DAKTARI's vibe! 

We hope it will help you to visualise better how your investment has been used.

Thank you for being a part of it, we know we owe you a lot!  

Wish you lots of success and happyness in 2020. 

Best regards,

Ian and Michele 

DAKTARI's work extends to the local communities through dedicated and passionate outreach projects.

One of them is ECO CLUB, an after-school programme that takes place twice a week in Mahlamele secondary school in the nearby village of the Oaks. Students learn about effective ways to protect their wildlife and environment.

On Thursday, the 23rd October 2019 we all got to celebrate the children’s achievements after they successfully completed the 6-week ECO CLUB programme.

Proud parents, school teachers, community members and of course many DAKTARI staff and volunteers attended the awards ceremony where a beautifully decorated church hall was utilized as the venue.

A few of the children were called up on stage to read out letters written to local counsellor’s requesting their support in helping to keep the environment clean and safe.

DAKTARI co-founder Michèle felt so privileged and honoured, and let it be said emotional when presenting each child with their certificates of achievement. There were not many dry eyes in the hall as everyone felt so proud to see these wonderful children smiling and having felt such an amazing sense of accomplishment as they all went up to receive their certificates.

Well done to everyone!

We are very proud to announce that we have launched our new ECO CLUB program on September 3rd!

We are providing environmental education to local underprivileged children from the nearby community through weekly extra-curricular Eco Clubs. Twice a week for a period of 6 weeks, 30 students learn about what they can do to protect their natural heritage. They attend smaller setting classrooms, which provides a safe space for them to explore the issues that their country faces while seeking possible solutions. 

With increasing wildlife poaching and the rapid extinction of precious species, we need to take action! Our aim is to shape future environmental ambassadors, leading the way to protect their amazing natural heritage. The children who attend the weekly Eco Club lessons are already taking action. They are taking part in school clean ups and are also working to educate their community.

By empowering underprivileged children to become actors of social and environmental change within their community, we are making South Africa a better place!