Celebrating Two Decades of Children in the Wilderness
ADVERTORIAL
Since 2001 , Children in the Wilderness has uplifted , educated and inspired more than 40,000 rural children across Africa on annual camps , weekly Eco-Clubs and Youth Empowerment Stewardship Clubs ! Join us in celebrating our 20th anniversary .
and were followed by similar workshops in Botswana in 2014 and 2015 .
Eighth Milestone … CITW ’ s Youth Environmental Stewardship ( YES ) Programme is introduced . To date , the programme has supported nearly 3000 secondary school students showing particular aptitude for environmental leadership , with training and skills development .
2015
Ninth Milestone … The first Tri-Nations Camp brings children from Botswana , South Africa and Zimbabwe together at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mapungubwe National Park , where they learn about Transfrontier Conservation Areas , tracking skills , the web of life , teamwork and other subjects . Aimed at giving back to the communities traversed in the Tour de Tuli event , the camp is subsequently repeated in the following years until the pandemic lockdown .
2016
Tenth Milestone … The first Shoe That Grows donation comes in to CITW , providing durable shoes that expand five sizes , for children living in rural Botswana .
11 th Milestone … CITW kicks off its partnership with Southern African Wildlife College , to offer CITW graduates a six-month conservation bridging course that exposes school-leavers to environmental education theory and practice , giving insight into a life as a field ranger .
2019
12 th Milestone … The ‘ Sports in the Wilderness ’ programme is hosted across 15 affiliated Eco-Club schools in Botswana , funded by the Diacore Gaborone
Marathon , Botswana ’ s largest charity sporting event . CITW hosts environmentally-themed sporting events , including soccer , netball , volleyball and running races , all geared towards building children ’ s confidence , environmental ethos , fitness and teamwork .
13 th Milestone … Scholarships are awarded to eight Bisate students in Rwanda , for the full duration of their secondary school education . The funding is provided by OM Digital Solutions Corporation and Wilderness Safaris ’ Bisate Lodge guests . The scholarships cover school fees , books and uniform costs , and recipients are awarded on the basis of their academic performance and participation in their local Eco-Club .
2021
14 th Milestone … A three-year partnership with FNBB Foundation is launched to further the Eco-Club programme in Botswana , with the aim to expose more than 200 children to the urgency of sustainable conservation . The FNBB Foundation is committed to preserving the environment for future generations , working in Botswana to support youth empowerment and environmental sustainability .
15 th Milestone … The CITW partnership formed with the Peace Parks Foundation adds Eco-Clubs to 12 schools in the Simalaha Community Conservancy in Zambia . Peace Parks also donates Groasis boxes to all schools in the Conservancy to support ongoing tree-planting and cultivation to assist reforestation initiatives .
16 th Milestone … Scholarship awards are given to secondary school students across six partner schools in Rwanda , bringing the total to 110 Scholarships , including 30 new six-year scholarships that are awarded at the
start of the school year in October . Awards are based on students ’ academic record and Eco-Club participation , with scholarship funding coming from Wilderness Safaris ’ guests staying at Bisate Lodge and the Magashi Camp .
17 th Milestone … CITW holds a five-day Conservation Science Camp for 30 girls from Ngambao Community Junior Secondary School in Seronga , Botswana . Part of a one-year project funded by the US Embassy in Botswana , it is the first Environmental Science and Science , Technology , Engineering and Maths ( STEM ) - focused project for schoolgirls in the country , aimed at empowering and encouraging them to consider conservation as a career .
18 th Milestone … More than 850 solar lights are distributed to schools in the Tsholotsho region in Zimbabwe .
19 th Milestone … Books for Africa donates another 200 boxes of books to CITW , which are delivered to 17 schools around Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe . This brings the year ’ s total of gifted books to CITW to more than 30,000 books , enhancing the lives of thousands of schoolchildren .
20 th Milestone … Wilderness Safaris ’ annual ‘ Africa in Focus ’ international photo competition raises a total of R200,000 for CTIW . These funds will be used specifically for its Eco-Clubs and Eco-Mentor training .
To find out more about Children in the Wilderness ( CITW ) and all its initiatives , go to www . childreninthewilderness . com
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