Children in the Wilderness

By: Nirvani Pillay Photos: Wilderness Safaris

The children of rural Africa are the future custodians of our last remaining wilderness areas. With this in mind, the non-profit organisation Children in the Wilderness (CITW), supported by the ecotourism company Wilderness Safaris, has been working in six southern African countries since 2001 to carry out its vision of increasing children’s understanding of and appreciation for the environment.

CITW is a multi-dimensional programme that begins with Eco-Clubs run in 15 schools in the Zambezi region. A fair selection process follows, resulting in a smaller group of learners participating in three-day annual workshops. Wilderness Safaris closes off a luxury camp and the children are hosted on game drives, as well as a number of other activities, to aid in their awareness of the environment.

CITW and Wilderness Safaris have a number of committed staff members who dedicate their time to inspire and teach young minds, such as Amon Ngoma, a guide at Wilderness Safaris Toka Leya Camp. He proudly says, “I like teaching and sharing my knowledge with children as they have the desire to learn, and they are educated and can protect our planet.”

Another dimension of CITW is the Youth Environmental Stewardship programme for children who show leadership qualities and a strong commitment to conservation. They are prepared for possible careers in conservation and tourism. CITW, through donor support, sources secondary and tertiary scholarships and internships.

The programme engages more than 2500 learners and hosts over 500 children in camps per year. A staggering 300 children receive annual scholarships across the spectrum of southern Africa. A recent scholarship student in Zambia who achieved all distinctions in Grade 12 was the first in his community to be accepted into university to study medicine. This is the kind of dream that CITW, supported by Wilderness Safaris, wants to inspire into action.