At Touch Nature, we are very dedicated to conservation, nature, wildlife and the communities living within wilderness areas. We work with partners and organisations such as the African Bush Camps Foundation, who put incredible effort into restoring habitat, reducing animal-human conflict, and expanding education.
The African Bush Camps Foundation (ABC Foundation) are dedicated to sustainable development and work to empower rural populations in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana that are situated in vulnerable wildlife areas. Through education, community empowerment, community infrastructure, and conservation, they aim to create these opportunities.
In order to address issues like unemployment, a lack of job opportunities, food scarcity, a lack of critical skills, inadequate infrastructure and funding for education and health care, low school attendance and dropouts because of financial difficulties, wildlife poaching, and protecting natural resources, the ABC Foundation is currently working on a number of projects as follows;
One of the most secluded and idyllic wildlife destinations in Southern Africa is Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park. UNESCO has recognized it as a world heritage site. It is a prime location for wildlife poaching due to its isolation and remoteness on the borders of two nations. Poor communities and individuals that depend on tourism as a source of income to sustain their families continue to suffer horrendously as a result of the Covid 19 outbreak. As animal poaching rises continuously, this has an impact on wildlife. As the neighborhood actively engages in poaching animals in an effort to feed their families, we are witnessing an increase in wildlife shootings for meat supply in our parks. Our animal population and habitat are being drastically impacted by this increase in poaching activity in the area.
In contrast to their male colleagues, women from communities in Botswana do not have the same access to job prospects as safari guides. With no active support, training, or skill development for female guides that would enable them to pursue their aspirations and support their families, this profession is still overwhelmingly dominated by men. Due to this dynamic, there are currently few job openings for female guides in the local camps.
The COVID epidemic has severely impacted the underprivileged and rural areas surrounding our camps, especially when trying to find and obtain the essential personal protective equipment and supplies to keep people safe from the virus. Additionally, we located schools with subpar restroom and ablution facilities. The danger of the students and their families being exposed to and getting COVID-19 at school increased due to the lack of cleanliness. In order to preserve livelihoods and improve food security in the community, our COVID response project offers personal protective equipment and resources, as well as meals and livestock. In addition to this, we constructed ablution blocks in schools to solve sanitary issues and improve safety and security precautions there.
Currently, the Kachikau Primary School’s disability unit houses 32 disabled pupils from Chobe, Botswana, villages. The program offers the students housing, daily food, and education.
The lack of basic amenities like wheelchair ramps and paved walkways rendered the school’s infrastructure unable to support students with special needs. This made moving around the school’s grounds in a wheelchair more challenging for students. Additionally, the school lacked sufficient dining facilities. Because of this, students would frequently dine outside of their classrooms on the ground. They were subjected to severe weather all year long as a result.
For many rural areas in Zambia, access to high-quality, reasonably priced healthcare facilities and services continues to be a challenge. Maunga’s closest clinic is 20 kilometers (12.2 miles) away from the community, and people frequently walk that distance to get to a clinic for medical care. Poor infrastructure, a lack of resources, a shortage of essential medical supplies, and a lack of qualified healthcare personnel continue to be problematic at these hospitals. This affects the services offered to the community, which is already dealing with a number of health issues. In Maunga, we constructed a health care facility complete with a maternity ward, solar energy, water access, ablution facilities, and medical equipment and resources to serve the existing community.
Communities near our camps struggle with access to healthy food and vegetables as well as food security. The Hwange National Park border is only 2 kilometers away from the Mambanje community. There are around 139 dwellings in this community, and there are 1200 residents overall. The lack of food in this community has a significant negative influence on students’ educational development because many of them miss school, perform poorly in class, and have trouble focusing. Families are significantly impacted by food scarcity. Many of the families struggle to feed their families because they lack a reliable source of income. While some large families rely on a single source of income to meet all of their financial needs. Another obstacle to looking for work in industries like tourism or pursuing entrepreneurship prospects is a lack of education and technical skills.
Because of our extensive partnership with African Bush Camps, the African Bush Camps Foundation receives US$10 for each night spent in one of their camps.
By using these funds to pay for their administrative costs, they are able to guarantee that every donation goes entirely toward the cause for which it was given. There is no donation too little, every little goes a long way. If you wish to make a donation, please follow the donation link below.
