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Care of the land, Care of the wildlife, Care of the people.
CC Africa is dedicated to these three principles which encapsulate the vision we have for Africa. We believe that our continent’s heritage of wild places, the wildlife living there and the neighbouring communities are amongst Africa’s most precious resources. We also believe that the wisest utilisation of our wild places is through the development of sustainable ecotourism with reciprocal benefits – both for our guests and for the rural communities living in and alongside our rich wildlife heritage.
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We aim to ensure that wildlife conservation in the 21st century is pivotal to the development of the custodians of the land - the people of Africa. At the core of this vision is our dedication to continually serve as a model in wise land management, integrating international travellers and rural communities to their mutual benefit, and demonstrating that everyone can participate in the protection of wildlife on a sustainable basis.
One of our flagship South African lodges, Phinda Private Game Reserve, is ongoing testament to CC Africa's vision. Here we consolidated over 17 000 hectares/42 000 acres of degraded land, ravaged by decades of inappropriate cattle, pineapple, sisal and cotton farming, and restored it to its original wilderness state. More than 2 000 head of game were reintroduced, including the Big Five. And in a very short space of time, our neighbours were benefiting directly from Phinda. This was achieved through employment and community development projects implemented - in consultation with the communities - by CC Africa's Rural Investment Fund, now an independent, non-governmental not-for-profit organisation called the Africa Foundation.
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Our guests play a crucial role in helping us to realise our vision for Africa. You are our future ambassadors – the link between Africa and the rest of the world. You are the impetus that drives our dream of advancing the green and wild frontiers of the oldest continent on earth, of helping us to be ongoing custodians of our planet’s endangered species and wild places.
We invite you to experience Africa with CC Africa and to embrace our dream of a proud, prosperous and protected Africa. |
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COMMUNITY PROJECTS
BACKGROUND
Since inception in 1992, the Africa Foundation’s projects have raised close to ZAR11 million at Phinda Private Game Reserve alone, through international and local grants for implementing community empowerment programmes. Our philosophy is simple – we believe communities are most effectively helped only if they are empowered to help themselves. We therefore work in tandem with communities and encourage them to take ownership of all projects to ensure sustainability.
The Phinda model is based on Africa Foundation’s five pillars:
1. Grounded in community participation
Africa Foundation empowers communities adjacent to conservation areas by working with them to identify and address their social, economic, health and welfare development needs on an ongoing basis.
2. Driven by local champions
Africa Foundation identifies local community members who will assist with and leverage the implementation of effective and sustainable projects.
3. CC Africa as the major partner
Africa Foundation supports CC Africa's success in the people/land/animals balance and provides CC Africa with effective and sustainable community development results.
4. Guests as development partners
Africa Foundation offers CC Africa guests the opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the people of Africa's conservation areas. 5. Stable organisation
Africa Foundation maintains a strong organisational base with the ability to evaluate, fund and monitor projects at steadily increasing levels.
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MDUKU CLINIC
Africa Foundation opened the clinic in the Mduku community in 1995. It provides medical care 24 hours a day for 11 000 locals. Adjacent to the clinic is a six bed pre-natal facility. Two fulltime nurses, as well as a physician from the Mseleni hospital, who visits once a week, staff the clinic. Clinic staff work closely with the numerous traditional healers in the Mduku region to combat the spread of HIV/Aids. A number of workshops have been conducted in the region addressing the needs and concerns of each sector of the population, ranging from women and school children to traditional healers.
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COMMUNITY LEADERS EDUCATION FUND (CLEF)
Africa Foundation has an enduring commitment to educational programmes, especially those that enhance the educational and professional opportunities of young leaders in rural areas. Over 150 disadvantaged students have received university scholarships through the Community Leaders Education Fund, or CLEF. CLEF is an enormously successful bursary programme that has been running for nine years. The fund was launched in 1995 in South Africa and has to date funded approximately US$ 160 000 in bursaries with a 96% success rate amongst sponsored students. CLEF recognises the importance of developing natural, educated leaders who can serve as an inspiration to entire rural communities. Students are not restricted to a particular course of study as Africa Foundation supports their natural interests and skills. Students return to their communities during study breaks to perform invaluable community service activities. The grant request depends on the number of students selected. The average scholarship grant per student per year ranges between $1 500 and $3 000.
SIYA KWAMUKELA ‘WARM WELCOME’ INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME
The Siya Kwamukela Hospitality Bursary Programme was established in 2000 with the formation of an alliance between Africa Foundation and champagne house Moët et Chandon. The establishment of this unique bursary was motivated by the growing need for skilled applicants in the tourism industry. The scheme sponsors talented high school graduates from disadvantaged communities adjacent to Phinda, and aims to equip them with the necessary skills not only to secure good employment opportunities but also to become future leaders within the hospitality industry. These graduates spend two years at one of CC Africa’s lodges being trained in various hospitality skills. Siya Kwamukela is quickly becoming recognised as a reference and an introduction for sponsored students into the industry. Two students completed the first programme which began in 2001, the first student was re-employed by Phinda Private Game Reserve, and the second student by a neighbouring game lodge. Three students are being funded for 2003/2004 programme.
SCHOOL CLASSROOMS
Classrooms are of primary importance in Africa’s rural areas. Limited funding from the government has created the need for rural schools to look towards other revenue sources to ensure quality education. Construction of classrooms also strengthens and improves school governance, through the formation of school committees and forums.
A total of 52 classrooms, three libraries and a laboratory have been constructed in the area. Phinda guests have donated in excess of 160 000 books to stock the libraries.
PRE-SCHOOL PROJECT
Africa Foundation has built one pre-school (Macebo Crèche in the Mduku Community) and assisted in establishing 18 informal pre-schools. Refurbishments and providing toys and equipment are ongoing projects.
SKILLS TRAINING
The Africa Foundation built a Training and Production centre at the Mavuso High School in the Nibela community which involves training in carpentry, welding and sewing. The centre has been involved in supplying desks for classrooms built through funds donated by Africa Foundation. A women’s market has been built in the Mduku community where beadwork and baskets are sold.
DEVCENTRE
Through the DevCentre (an acronym for Digital Eco-Village Centre) project, Africa Foundation and its partners aim to ‘bridge the digital divide’ by linking remote rural communities to the latest technological, educational and medical services. Computer courses, skills training, access to the internet and digital communications technology all form part of the DevCentre’s objective to use technology to advance education, agriculture and health care. Africa Foundation is responsible for spearheading the introduction of the DevCentre in South Africa. The programme is already underway in the Mduku community near Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. The initial set-up and launch was made possible by a grant from the Flora Family Foundation.
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ACCESS TO WATER / HIPPO WATER ROLLERS
Hippo Water Rollers bring immediate relief to the water scarcity and transportation problems faced by so many rural communities. The revolutionary design of the Hippo Water Roller (like an old-fashioned drum lawn mower) makes the task of collecting water much easier, and far less time- consuming. The drum has a 90-litre capacity, compared with the usual 5-litre containers that are carried on the heads of women and children. Africa Foundation has so far provided over 140 rollers to the Phinda communities. One Hippo Water Roller costs approximately $80.
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CONSERVATION LESSONS
Africa Foundation and CC Africa lodges sponsor conservation lessons for students of all ages from neighbouring disadvantaged schools. Amazingly, most local school children have never been into their neighbouring conservation area and have never seen an elephant or a lion. Over the years, we have learned that this exposure is key to building relationships between rural people and their natural, wild neighbourhood. Many students report that their lives were changed when they realised what was on the other side of the game fence. Lessons are conducted by professional CC Africa rangers and trackers at CC Africa lodges and include game-drives, environmental talks and activities centred on various conservation issues. To date, 4 500 students have experienced conservation lessons from CC Africa's camps and lodges in African countries.
HIV/AIDS AWARENESS
Africa Foundation, together with Soul City, runs a programme to raise HIV/Aids awareness in the local communities. The key success factors to this programme are training community members to run the courses themselves and empowering those community members with the necessary planning and preparation skills to carry out education sessions. The programme encourages the community to find ways to prevent HIV/Aids, to care for and support those people who are infected or affected, and to reduce the stigma associated with the disease.
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African Safari Vacations
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