Providing Outreach to Local Communities

Dear Sponsors,

 The past few months have been very rewarding for our Outreach Programme. Thanks to your support, we continue to reach more children and young people with environmental education while building strong relationships with local schools.

Our Wildlife Crime Campaign recently came to an end at Sekoko Primary School. Thirty-one Grade 6 learners performed six short role plays during a school assembly in front of more than 100 fellow students. The role plays shared important messages about protecting wildlife and caring for the environment.

 At the end of the assembly, the school's principal thanked our team in front of everyone. He spoke about how valuable these lessons are for the learners, not only because they learn about conservation, but also because they gain confidence and improve their English by speaking in front of an audience. He expressed his hope that our partnership with the school will continue for many years. Several teachers also shared how much they appreciate the programme and encouraged us to keep doing this work.

 We are equally proud of one of our EcoClub learners from Maahlamele High School, who volunteered to help us present lessons during the Wildlife Crime Campaign. She did an outstanding job and discovered that she enjoys teaching younger children. It was wonderful to see her confidence grow as she became a role model for the next generation.

 Our monitoring results also show encouraging progress. At Sekoko Primary School, learners improved their environmental knowledge by an average of more than 47%, with some questions showing improvements of up to 76%. These results are more than double those achieved during our previous Wildlife Crime Campaign.

 Meanwhile, a new EcoClub has started at Molomahlapi High School. The response from the learners has been incredible, with 50 out of 54 Grade 9 students applying to join. Attendance has remained above 40 learners throughout the first half of the programme, showing the enthusiasm young people have for learning about conservation and becoming ambassadors for their communities.

None of this would be possible without your support. Thank you for helping us give young people the knowledge, confidence and opportunity to become tomorrow's environmental leaders.

With gratitude,

The DAKTARI Team

Dear Sponsors,

The new school year has begun with wonderful energy in our Outreach Programme.

At the end of January, we welcomed our new Outreach Manager, Francesca Dean. From her first days, she dedicated herself to preparing the EcoClub lessons so that activities could begin as soon as possible. With schools already open, she quickly stepped into the field to recruit learners at Maahlamele High School in The Oaks village.

The response was overwhelming. So many Grade 9 learners applied to join the EcoClub that the group had to be divided in two. The first group has already started, and the commitment shown by the students has been inspiring. Nearly all those who applied attended the first sessions, showing strong motivation to be part of something meaningful.

The EcoClub focuses on environmental responsibility, practical solutions and youth leadership. During the first lessons, students participated in team-building activities, discussed the purpose of the club and explored creative ways to reduce plastic waste. One of the highlights was learning about EcoBricks, a method of transforming plastic waste into usable building material. The students quickly embraced the idea and were excited by the possibility of creating something tangible for their own school using their handmade EcoBricks.

Beyond the practical learning, EcoClub provides a safe space where teenagers can build confidence, develop teamwork skills and realise that they have the power to make positive change in their community.

With the support of volunteers and our outreach team, the programme continues to grow, reaching more learners and strengthening environmental awareness at local schools.

Thank you for making this outreach work possible. Your support allows us to empower young people with knowledge, responsibility and hope for the future.

With gratitude,
The DAKTARI Team

Links:

• Here you can read about how to volunteer with DAKTARI!