Educating local communities to better understand and appreciate rhino and wildlife.
Our educational program aims at facilitating education and awareness about rhino across all ages of children and adults in the local communities.
A big part of the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative (CRCI) is to develop awareness and appreciation for wildlife conservation among the next generation of local communities. It has taken decades of experience with tourism to bring local communities to the point where they would set apart their own land for wildlife; CRCI builds on this solid foundation by directly benefitting communities and also by using rhino as a catalyst for further community-based projects.
The “I Know Rhino” program seeks to educate school age children about rhino and other wildlife and the importance of conservation. Visits to our wildlife sanctuary complement curriculum lessons in conservation and inspire children to engage themselves in conservation and wildlife appreciation. These visits include a talk on the importance of the rhino to the area, on the need for conservation and proper protection of the rhino and on how school children can help look out for any potential poaching threats from the communities. School children are also introduced to the rhino as an animal (what they eat, how big they get, where they live,...) and enjoy finding out about this animal that none of them have seen before. And of course, the best part of a visit to the sanctuary is when the school children can go and see the rhino up close and get a good look at their new neighbours!
For CRCI to be a success, education must be maintained as a priority, and the “I Know Rhino” program goes hand-in-hand with Imvelo’s wider education projects. The program is extended to adult villagers to engage them through employment, curio and craft sales, visits to the sanctuary and workshops to improve awareness.
Education suffered greatly as a result of the pandemic, with Covid-19 related lockdowns and teacher strikes that compounded existing challenges of poor infrastructure and lack of resources. Imvelo continues to facilitate education through a variety of projects, with the “I Know Rhino” program spearheading environmental education efforts in schools.
Contact us for more information on our Community Rhino Conservation Initiative
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