The 25 dollar donation - does it make a difference? Options

[Game Warden]

I wonder just what 25 dollars gets you these days? For instance a night out at the cinema for two including a big box of popcorn and a drink each... does that sound about right? Not that I have a lot of time to get to the cinema nowadays so somebody correct me if I'm wrong. (At least the last film I saw was Africa based, The Blood Diamond with Leonardo di Caprio and Djimon Hounsou).

Does that night out really make a difference to your life? Will you look back in perhaps a year's time and think - that was money well spent? I doubt it - and that amount of money you will barely miss. Yet imagine a different scenario where those 25 dollars do make a difference and help to bring a change in Africa. To someone's life, the welfare of a distressed animal, the removal of a snare or a game warden's lunch parcel high up in the Virunga National Park. Imagine if those 25 dollars help educate a child in the importance of wildlife and habitat conservation and that child grows up to be an acclaimed conservationist - instead of a poacher who only places importance on the value of an ivory tusk or leopard's skin. Imagine for a moment that money helping to feed an orphaned baby animal which in a few years might be released back into the wild and breeds successfully.

It's not a fantasy: 25 dollars does make a difference and by donating this amount you will be able to look back in hindsight and think it money well spent. Especially if you can see for yourself exactly how that money was utilised. The purpose of this article over the coming months will be to examine how such a small amount can help, can make a change: consider the prospect of ten people making such a similar donation, twenty, thirty. You won't miss 25 dollars, and nor will the next person who decides to donate: on it's own that small amount does make a difference - think of how big that difference will be if more people do the same. I'll be including information from the different groups featured in Safaritalk and talking with their directors to see why those 25 dollars do make a difference and then you can see for yourself just what an important contribution it is.

So I've done it, started off - donating 50 UK pounds to the Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust in Zambia, (www.chipembele.org) and in another article will be following the money from the initial online donation to how it is spent on the ground by Anna and Steve Tolan in the Luangwa Valley.

But for now, let's meet some people involved on the ground in Africa and see what 25 dollars means to them.

[Game Warden]

I wonder just what 25 dollars gets you these days? For instance a night out at the cinema for two including a big box of popcorn and a drink each... does that sound about right? Not that I have a lot of time to get to the cinema nowadays so somebody correct me if I'm wrong. (At least the last film I saw was Africa based, The Blood Diamond with Leonardo di Caprio and Djimon Hounsou).

Does that night out really make a difference to your life? Will you look back in perhaps a year's time and think - that was money well spent? I doubt it - and that amount of money you will barely miss. Yet imagine a different scenario where those 25 dollars do make a difference and help to bring a change in Africa. To someone's life, the welfare of a distressed animal, the removal of a snare or a game warden's lunch parcel high up in the Virunga National Park. Imagine if those 25 dollars help educate a child in the importance of wildlife and habitat conservation and that child grows up to be an acclaimed conservationist - instead of a poacher who only places importance on the value of an ivory tusk or leopard's skin. Imagine for a moment that money helping to feed an orphaned baby animal which in a few years might be released back into the wild and breeds successfully.

It's not a fantasy: 25 dollars does make a difference and by donating this amount you will be able to look back in hindsight and think it money well spent. Especially if you can see for yourself exactly how that money was utilised. The purpose of this article over the coming months will be to examine how such a small amount can help, can make a change: consider the prospect of ten people making such a similar donation, twenty, thirty. You won't miss 25 dollars, and nor will the next person who decides to donate: on it's own that small amount does make a difference - think of how big that difference will be if more people do the same. I'll be including information from the different groups featured in Safaritalk and talking with their directors to see why those 25 dollars do make a difference and then you can see for yourself just what an important contribution it is.

So I've done it, started off - donating 50 UK pounds to the Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust in Zambia, (www.chipembele.org) and in another article will be following the money from the initial online donation to how it is spent on the ground by Anna and Steve Tolan in the Luangwa Valley.

But for now, let's meet some people involved on the ground in Africa and see what 25 dollars means to them.

[Game Warden]

Anna Tolan is a trust director of The Chipembele Wildlife Education Centre in Zambia.

25 dollars. Here's what Anna Tolan would spend that amount on:

Just to give you an idea of how far $25 would go, it could pay for:

• A pair of good leather school shoes for a school going child
• A full set of uniform for a secondary pupil
• School fees for a secondary pupil for 1 year
• 2 x 25 kg bags of mealie meal (the staple diet) enough to feed a family of six for a month
• 2 good quality blankets (most children don't have one and sleep on a mat on the floor)
• 4 mosquito nets to help prevent malaria

Best wishes

Anna Tolan - www.chipembele.org

To see further examples of what a donation to Chipembele will buy click here. This takes you to the donations page of www.chipembele.org and by clicking this link you have not made any commitment to donate.

[Game Warden]

Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick is head of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust based in Nairobi.

25 dollars. Here's what Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick would spend that amount on:

Below is a short list of what US$25 could pay for

• 2 tins SMA Goldcap
• some medicinal Essential Oils
• Some Veterinary drugs for stomach bacterial infections
• 2 blankets
• Some oatmeal porridge or dessicated coconut - all used daily on the infant Elephants in the Nairobi Nursery

Best wishes

Dame Daphne Sheldrick - www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

To see how you can make a donation to The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust click here. This takes you to the donations page of www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org and by clicking this link you have not made any commitment to donate.

[Game Warden]

Louise Joubert is the founder trustee of the SanWild Wildlife Trust in Limpopo Province, South Africa.

SanWild is the only known charity that have taken on the innocent victims of the sordid canned lion hunting industry in South Africa themselves. They have construced a large predator holding sanctuary where lions are kept until safe foster homes can be found for them; either to be returned to the wild or to live out their lives in large holding camps ranging from 300 – 500 hectares in size. Presently the Trust takes care of and supports 21 lions.

Here's how a $25.00 donation can help the SanWild lions.

Just to give you an idea of how far $25 would go, it could:

• Feed an adult lion for a day.
• Feed two sub-adult cubs for a day

Kind regards

Louise Joubert - www.sanwild.org

To see how you can make a donation to The SanWild Wildlife Trust click here. This takes you to the Afritrust donations page and by clicking this link you have not made any commitment to donate.

[Game Warden]

Dr. Laurie Marker is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) based in Namibia and in 2000 was recognised as one of Time Magazine's Heroes for the Planet.

Here is how a $25 donation could help the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

• Feed two cheetahs for a day
• Feed one dog for 2.5 weeks
• Feed and house four school students at CCF camp for 1 day
• Cover one day of training 1.5 farmers
• Buy 2 blankets for the Clinic
• Provide some medications for domestic and wild animals housed at CCF
• Retread two tires for CCF vehicles

Best regards,

Laurie Marker - www.cheetah.org

To see how you can make a donation to The Cheetah Conservation Fund click here. This takes you to the donations page of www.cheetah.org and by clicking this link you have not made any commitment to donate.

[Game Warden]

Paul Hart is Director of the Drakenstein Lion Park near Cape Town.

Here’s what 25 dollars could do for our animals:

• Pay for the care costs of one of our rescued lions for 5 days. This includes food, veterinary and housing costs.
• Pay the wages of one of our animal care givers for one week.
• Pay for 1.5 meters of new fencing.
• Contribute towards the rescue costs involved in rehoming an abused lion to our sanctuary.

Best Regards

Paul Hart www.lionrescue.org.za

To see how you can make a donation to The Drakenstein Lion Park click here. This takes you to the donations page of www.lionrescue.org.za and by clicking this link you have not made any commitment to donate.

[Game Warden]

Will Snell is founder of Harambee Schools Kenya.

Here's how $25 could benefit HSK:

• Buy enough textbooks to teach one subject to 10 children
• Provide a free school lunch for one child for four months

Take care,

Will Snell www.hsk.org.uk

To see how you can make a donation to Harambee Schools Kenya click here. This takes you to the donations page of www.hsk.org.uk and by clicking this link you have not made any commitment to donate.

[Game Warden]

Michele and Ian Merrifield founded and are directors of The Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage, based in the Limpopo Province, South Africa.

With us, $25 could:

• feed and accommodate one child at the orphanage for five days
• pay for the fuel for the vehicle to collect six under-privileged children from their school (65Km away = 130Km round trip) on a Monday and return them to their village on the Friday(also 130Km round trip)
• feed six dwarf ostriches for one month
• feed one caracal and one serval for one month
• feed two blind duiker for six months
• feed one blind impala for three months
• buy two solar powered garden lamps to light the pathways
• buy one solar powered motion detector spotlight for the waterhole or entrances to chalets
• buy one solar powered (8 x LED) , pull string, light for a chalet

Regards,

Ian and Michele Merrifield, www.daktaribushschool.org

To see how you can make a donation to The Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage click here. This takes you to the donations page of www.africanorphanage.com and by clicking this link you have not made any commitment to donate.

[Game Warden]

Albert Schenk has been the field manager in Thuma Forest Reserve for the Wildlife Action Group since 2005.

With 25 US$ W.A.G. can:

• pay 2 weeks salary for a scout; that is 2 weeks straight protection of wildlife in the field.
• buy 1 pair trousers and 1 shirt (= 1 uniform) for a scout.
• organize a conservation awareness day in one of the communities around Thuma F.R..
• employ a group of villagers from one community to do one or two days piece work in Thuma F.R., like for example road maintenance.

Indeed 25US$ can already make a significant difference!

Keep in touch,

Albert Schenk www.wag-malawi.org

To see how you can support The Wildlife Action Group, Malawi click here. This takes you to the Wildlife Action Support Group Europe's (www.wildlife-malawi.org) donation page and by taking this action you will not have made any commitment to donating.

[Game Warden]

Luca Belpietro runs an eco-tourism lodge, Campi ya Kanzi in Kenya in association with the Maasai and the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust which seeks to promote the well being of the Maasai community and to protect the wildlife and habitat essential to the survival of the animals and the Maasai.

$25 with us will:

• buy a desk for 2, with bench, for primary school
• pay 1 week salary of a game scout, protecting lions, wildlife, desnaring, etc.
• pay 1 week salary to a kindergarten nurse

Ciao
Luca www.maasaitrust.org

To see how you can support the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust click here. This takes you to the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust's donation page and by taking this action you will not have made any commitment to donating.

[Game Warden]

Rebecca Klein is project coordinator of Cheetah Conservation Botswana: CCB is a long term conservation program incorporating research, community outreach and education. One of the projects focuses is on reducing cheetah / livestock conflict and improving the attitudes of the farming community and their methods of predator control. Ultimately, supporting the survival of free ranging cheetah, the habitat on which it depends and ensuring the spirit of the Kalahari remains for future generations.

With CCB 25$ can:

• pay for a medical check and anaesthesia for 1 adult cheetah.
• feed an orphaned cheetah for 1 week.
• sponsor 2 farmers to attend a Living with Predators workshop.
• provide 10 predator educational booklets to schools.
• print 20 awareness raising posters.
• pay a local volunteer to train and work with CCB for 1 week.
• run a CCB project vehicle for 1 week to carry out essential community outreach activities.

Thanks! Rebecca www.cheetahbotswana.com

To see how you can help Cheetah Conservation Botswana click here. This takes you to Cheetah Conservation Botswana's donation page and by taking this action you will not have made any commitment to donating.

[Game Warden]

Johnny Rodrigues is Chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force. The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF) was formed in April 2001 by a group of Zimbabweans, who were desperately concerned about the unacceptable levels of poaching as well as the destruction of the environment due to the break down of law and order in Zimbabwe.

He writes:

With regard to the things we could do with USD25:

• It would pay for fuel to pump water into one pan in Hwange for a whole day
• It would buy 5kg of glucose for Tatenda, lasting him a week
• It would buy 1,5 litres of vitamin syrup for Tatenda lasting him 2 weeks
• It would pay a month's salary for a rhino guard or a pump attendant in Hwange

Thanks a million for everything you're doing. I really appreciate it.

Best wishes, Johnny Rodrigues.

The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force can be found on Facebook here:

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15148470211

Where banking and donation details are listed.

[Game Warden]

Cathy Dean has been Director of Save the Rhino International since 2001. Save the Rhino supports rhino- and community-based conservation projects in Africa and Asia.

US $25 can go a long way:

• 1 sleeping bag for a game scout, so that they can stay out on overnight patrols
• 2 inflatable mattresses to give to rangers to ensure a good night's sleep!
• 3 mosquito nets for members of the Rhino Protection Units in Indonesia, who work in malarial forests
• 12 boxes of pencils for schools taking part in an environmental education programme
• 20 days' rations for a bloodhound, who can follow a poacher's scent for up to 36 hours

Hope one or two of these are different enough to be appealing!

Best, Cathy Dean www.savetherhino.org

To see how you can help Save the Rhino International click here. This takes you to Save the Rhino International's donation page and by taking this action you will not have made any commitment to donating.

[nappa]

Excellent, this is one of the most positive posts I have had the pleasure to read on all the "Eco Safari" sites.

Well done to Game Warden for the work put into this.

Next time you have $25 dollars burning a hole in your pocket now you know the good it could do.

[Game Warden]

Anthony May is a Trustee of the charity Predator Conservation Trust

Here's how we could use 25 US dollars:

• Anti Poaching Unit scouts wage for one week.
• A pair of boots for Anti Poaching Unit scout.
• A months food rations for Anti Poaching Unit.
• One weeks supply of food for 4 dogs at the Painted Dog Project rehabilitation facility
• One weeks salary of Painted Dog Project rehabilitation facility staff member.
• Cost of one child attending Painted Dog ProjectChildren’s Bush Camp.
• One days fuel for tracking Wild Dogs.
• 1 small hyena bait (goat or sheep)
• 5 tranquilizer darts (2ml)
• 100 charges for tranquiliser dart gun
• 2 tyre repairs
• 5 visual ID collars for spotted hyenas

Thanks and take care, Anthony May www.predatorconservation.com

To see how you can make a donation to The Predator Conseravtion Trust click here. This takes you to the donations page of www.predatorconservation.com and by clicking this link you have not made any commitment to donate.

[Guest_John Milbank_*]

When you see this thread, you realise what a diverse range of deserving enterprises there is (and ask yourself how many others there might be), and how difficult it is to decide which to put at the top of your personal list.

[Jude]

Rachel McRobb is the CEO of the South Luangwa Conservation Society (SLCS).

25 dollars? Here's what Rachel McRobb would spend that amount on:

• 2 x 25kg's bags of mealie meal (one bag would be enough for 6 scouts on a 10 day patrol)
• A pair of rain boots for a scout for rainy season patrols
• a set of rations for a 10 days long patrol (including cooking oil, salt, sugar, relish, tea)
• cover the bonus for a scout who managed to apprehend a poacher
• Reward for an informer who turned in a muzzle loading gun
• cost of fuel to drop off a patrol
• sleeping bag for a scout on patrol
• first aid kit for two long patrols

with thanks,
Rachel McRobb - www.slcs-zambia.org

____________________________________

You can make a $25 donation now.

Donations are made via UK based *The U foundation who have kindly partnered with SLCS for the purposes of donations

2) Make donation via Just Giving UK - U Foundation page here: www.justgiving.com/Ufoundation

3) Send an email to slcs@iwayafrica.com and info@theufoundation.org include the JustGiving receipt number and state you have made an SLCS donation for The Safaritalk $25.00 Appeal.

____________________________________

*Click here to read more about the U Foundation

Image used with permission Rachel McRobb

[Game Warden]

Jason Turner is a Lion Ecologist & Scientific Advisor for the Global White Lion Protection Trust (WLT) operating in the greater Timbavati bush region of South Africa. To find out more about the Trust visit their website here: www.whitelions.org.

“Days of Freedom Program”

Your donation will contribute* towards a ‘Day of Freedom’ for a white lion in their natural endemic habitat:

Scientific Research
Radio-tracking collars and telemetry equipment ensure that the reintroduced lions can be monitored at all times for scientific and safety reasons.

Anti-poaching & Security
Anti-poaching teams patrol the boundary fences daily, checking for snares and repairing fence-lines when necessary.

Reintroduction Program
The scientific research team and monitoring vehicles are vital for the program to reintroduce white lions to their natural endemic habitat.

Lion Predation
Shattering all misperceptions the white lion pride is hunting at a mean rate of a kill every 2,5 days. The prey base in the primary reintroduction area therefore needs to be supplemented at times.

Habitat & Wildlife Management
Fundamental to conserving the white lion is protecting their prey, and therefore the habitat of that prey. This includes alien plant control, bush-thinning and erosion control programs.

Veterinary Care
The WLT uses specialist wildlife veterinarians when immobilizing the lions for immunization, translocation, radio-collaring and contraception.

To see how you can help the Global White Lion Protection Trust (WLT) click here. This takes you to the Global White Lion Protection Trust (WLT)'s donation page and by taking this action you will not have made any commitment to donating.

* A ‘Day of Freedom’ for a white lion costs the Global White Lion Trust: $45

[Game Warden]

Lindy Wafula, 3rd from left.

Lindy is founder and director of Project Africa which supports social and economic empowerment for women and girls living in rural Africa through education and training, health care, and provision of resources needed for enterprise development. To find out more please visit their website here: www.projectforafrica.org

I wish to share with you what USD 25 can do for the work of Project Africa.

• can buy up to 20 postage stamps for the Rafiki Program Letters.
• can Buy 500 envelopes
• can buy 1000 writing letter heads
• can buy 50 note books
• can buy 200 pens
• can pay travel allowance for one adult education teacher for one month ( 4 sessions)
• can pay classroom rent for one week

Look forward to speaking soon, Lindy.

To see how you can make a donation to Project Africa click here. This takes you to the donations page of www.projectforafrica.org (via www.paypal.com) and by clicking this link you have not made any commitment to donate.

[savenature]

Call me old fashioned, but any amount helps these days. While 25 bucks may only be enough to buy a couple shamwows, it's better than nothing.