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Passionate about wildlife and aware that education in environment preservation is a real need, and Ian and Michele Merrifield created this new initiative in conservation awareness with Daktari Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage.
The mission of Daktari is to inspire, motivate, develop and educate underprivileged children to care for the environment through the medium of a wildlife orphanage.
Firstly, Daktari is a refuge for the orphaned and injured animals from the local game reserves. These animals are examined by a specialised vet and can recover at Daktari before being rehabilitated in their natural habitat. However, if their health condition does not make it possible, they are then kept at Daktari where they will be looked after and will play an essential role in education of the local underprivileged children and many other people.
Then, Daktari is an environmental educational centre. It targets underprivileged children. Most of the local children have never seen a giraffe or a lion, and have not developed any emotion towards animal welfare. They live in rural areas where wildlife has been removed many many years ago, and although they live near the Kruger National Park and many private nature game reserves, access to these places is out of their reach.
The wildlife is their heritage too! Poaching and habitat destruction are a reality and have a far-reaching detrimental impact on the environment. It is essential for conservation that the future generations be educated in the economic and spiritual necessity for compassion, care and protection of the environment.
Every Monday Daktari welcomes a new group of 8 local underprivileged children and 1 youth for a week and give them the opportunity to discover, learn and become passionate about wildlife and conservation, their heritage. Michele says, "We also supplement their school curriculum in English, maths, sciences, geography, life skills and social issues."
Michele continues, "Our goal is to enable today’s local underprivileged children to eventually be able to secure good employment in nature reserves, thereby improving their future quality of life."
Daktari welcomes international volunteers to help with the education and the care of the animals. Their financial participation for their stay goes toward the running cost of the project and Daktari receive private and corporate donation.
If you would like to support the cause or become a volunteer, please contact Ian and Michele at info@daktaribushschool.or or visit their website www.daktaribushschool.org
The non-profit organisation is registered as such under Section 21 (incorporated the 21/06/2002, registration number 2002/015279/08). It is situated on a 700 hectare private game reserve not far from the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Animal World USA-International says, "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to Daktari for celebrating the 1st Africa Weeks for the Animals August 2-15, 2010!"
Daktari Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage
Bona Ingwe Farm, Harmony 81 Hoedspruit 1380
South Africa
Tel: +27826562969
Email info@daktaribushschool.org
Website: daktaribushschool.org
