Photographs by Steve Barclay
On World Ranger Day Helping Rhinos is proud to have once again funded significant Community-Based Ranger Training in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
With an impressive track-record against rhino poaching, the Eastern Cape is the location for one of our key Rhino Strongholds and an area of global importance for rhino preservation.
Hosted by our partners at the Kariega Foundation, the Community-Based Ranger Programme was facilitated by the Eastern Cape Occupational Development Academy (ECODA) who are dedicated to the upliftment and empowerment of communities through upskilling and education.
Through the 12-month programme local men and women were given the opportunity to gain the skills and qualifications needed to become the protectors of their natural heritage. Included in the programme is a 6-week accredited Field Ranger training course, followed by a 10-month mentored internship, with graduates earning the NQF2 qualification, an entry-level national certification.
More and more young people are involved in conservation, and are having opportunities with nature itself.
Funds raised through the Helping Rhinos Conservation Safari have enabled Helping Rhinos to fund this important Ranger training programme, with the newly qualified Rangers who have benefitted from the course already playing a pivotal role in protecting the wild spaces they grew up alongside.
Without commitment and engagement from the local communities there cannot be effective conservation, and our work alongside the Kariega Foundation holds this principal at the heart of our efforts. Investing in education and local partnerships is a critical path that is changing the lives of a vibrant, energised younger generation who want to live in a greener, more compassionate world, and deserve the chance to impact their own future.
