Help us save our volunteering projects
The world as we know it is changing and the effects of the current global pandemic are likely to be felt long after Covid-19. Many people are referring to this time as a ‘pause for humanity’. A time to reflect on our lives, our careers and more importantly, the impact we have on other people, not just the ones close to us, but those on the other side of the planet too.
The world is getting smaller. The ability to connect with people across the oceans is effortless and the ability to help people anywhere in the world can happen with the click of a button. Yet companies are on the verge of bankruptcy, people are losing their capacity to make a living, supermarket shelves are being emptied, and many industries are slowing to a halt.
The effects of Covid-19 will negatively impact global corporations, small-business owners, sole contractors, cottage industries, medical facilities, schools, community development programs, aid programs… the list goes on.
The people that will suffer the most, however, are those that are already under-privileged, those that already live under or close to the poverty line. These people struggle to make ends meet and many families go hungry.
Volunteer programs exist to improve the lives of these families. They exist to provide opportunities for underprivileged children and adults to educate themselves, develop new skills, and to build up communities and protect our wildlife.
These programs need to continue to operate, regardless of Covid-19.
We need your help. The existing travel bans have meant that many of our volunteers have had to postpone their placements with us. The effect this has on both our community and wildlife projects is devastating, as the majority of the funds brought in through volunteer placements goes directly towards the operational costs of our projects.
These operational costs don’t only include funds that go to the communities, but they also include salaries for our teams on the ground, our project leaders, guides, housekeepers, cooks and maintenance teams. These people also have families to support, and in Zimbabwe, the current unemployment is extremely high. Each of our members of staff supports an average of 10 people on their salary.
Costs also include fuel for our research vehicles, wildlife feed trucks and supplementary food and veterinary care for the wildlife we look after. The ripple effect is huge.
We are therefore appealing to you for assistance. Help us to continue to help the communities and projects that we support so that during and post Covid-19, we can continue to make a difference to community development and wildlife conservation.
Every little bit helps.
