For Wildlife ACT, international volunteers and conservation expeditions have been the cornerstone of our funding stream. We depend on this support to conduct vitally important endangered and priority wildlife species conservation work, including our anti-poaching initiatives.
Our conservation projects, which extend across the Zululand area of South Africa (including those in uMkhuze, Tembe, Manyoni and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park), are under threat of closing due to the current global travel restrictions and local shutdowns.
Thankfully, our call for support to our very dedicated and unique group of supporters – even at a time when economies across the world were reeling – was met with a level of energy and dedication that we never fully expected. We believe fully in the conservation impact of our work, and are heavily reliant on our professional staff who get up daily (and early), so our drive for the short term was to secure our staff, and secondly, enable the work to continue.
All of our staff – across the board – took a salary cut to reduce pressure on the organization. Not one person complained. This reiterated the passion and dedication of this team. The challenge has been considering how long we need to hold our collective breath for Wildlife ACT to arrive safely on the other side. Thankfully, due to the significant generosity from our supporters, we have met our short-term funding goals, retained all our staff, and kept our conservation footprint!
PHASE 2:
Now in Phase 2 – Staying Wildlife ACTive – our aim is to generate further resources to ensure our work can be carried out effectively (fuel for monitoring sessions, tyres for vehicles, collars for painted dogs) and to get our staff back onto a salary that is back in line with their commitment and input. It is for this reason that we continue to push for support and donations over the coming months with a new fundraising target set for the next 6 months. In addition, we do not know what 2021 will hold and we need to be planning for a slow and unstable recovery.
To get our teams to where they should be we need to raise a further ZAR 1,000,000 ($60,000) over the next six months.
A SLICE OF BUSH LIFE
We are really trying hard to drive support in the form of more consistent and reliable monthly donations, to help see us through the next few months. In return for recurring donations, you can opt to become a virtual volunteer by being given access to one or more of our exclusive WhatsApp groups.
These groups are providing a slice of African bush life as our field staff go about their work, providing direct bush footage and insights into the everyday life of a wildlife monitor. For a minimum donation of $10 per month, you will qualify to be added to a project group of your choosing, $20 for 2 groups, $30 for 3 groups etc.
If you have made a qualifying donation and would like to be added to one or more of our project groups, please email info@wildlifeact.com
Other than salaries, funds will be used to:
- Keep our vehicles out in the field (many are all still financed) with fuel in their tanks - ensuring our staff can get around the protected areas they work in
- Feed our staff, maintain our equipment, and
- Ensure we can communicate and track wildlife.
We fully appreciate the far-reaching impact that Covid-19 has had on the global community and we hope that you and your loved ones are safe and secure while we all weather this storm. If you are able, we would appreciate your support of this life-raft, with recurring monthly donations enabling us to plan better during this time of uncertainty.
WHAT WE DO
Wildlife ACT is an award-winning non-profit organisation working tirelessly since 2008 to help save Africa’s endangered and priority wildlife species from extinction, thereby enabling broad-scale biodiversity conservation.
We achieve this by:
- Conducting professional and strategic monitoring and research to enable and inform effective conservation management of wildlife in Africa;
- Securing existing protected areas, driving range expansion of African Wildlife, and combating illegal wildlife poaching;
- Identifying and developing programmes within surrounding communities to support biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic development.
Thank you for your support. We are forever grateful.
Your partners in conservation - Wildlife ACT.
