Mkomazi's Environmental Education programme: Rafiki wa Faru

 

In June 2008, Tony and Lucy Fitzjohn launched an Environmental Education (EE) programme called “Rafiki wa Faru” (Friend of Rhino) which is being rolled out to local schools and communities in the area. Mkomazi National Park (MNP) is surrounded by 41 villages in three Districts and two administrative regions. Rafiki wa Faru demonstrates GAWPT’s commitment towards a public-private partnership between the Trust and the Tanzanian Wildlife Division.

The overall aims of the EE programme are to:

1) Link local school children with conservation
Raise awareness amongst school children to secure long-term sustainability of MNP and its conservation efforts
Encourage active involvement through environmental education initiatives, so that the next generation of Tanzanians will work for the sustained conservation of the Tsavo ecosystem
Increase the number of children that experience wildlife in safe circumstances, especially as the great majority of Tanzanian children have never seen wildlife in their natural environment, despite living in a country with rich wildlife resources and an economy dependent on wildlife

2) Change local communities’ attitudes towards wildlife and habitat conservation
Alleviate human-wildlife conflict as population growth continues to put pressure on protected areas and contact between humans and wildlife is frequent. In this area there is a real need to make local communities understand the importance and benefits of Reserves / National Parks
Begin to educate people about the opportunities offered by increased eco-tourism and sustainable use of natural resources

3) Reduce wildlife crime
Alleviate problem with cattle barons and commercial poachers, and ensure that the next generation will not follow in their footsteps
Develop an informer network

During 2007 and 2008, Tony oversaw the purchase and adaptation of a special EE Bus, which can take up to 30 schoolchildren at a time into Mkomazi National Park. Long-time staff Elisaria and Semu have been trained up as part-time Environmental Education officers. The programme was formally launched in June 2008.

Every Tuesday in dry season, the bus goes to the village of Same, at the entrance of the Park, to collect a class and two teachers, for the start of a full day which includes: visit to the African wild dog breeding programme; tour of the workshops and garages to see how general Park maintenance is supported; game drive through the Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary; lessons in the new schoolroom; lunch; visit to a ranger post to meet Tony’s staff; and a visit to the observation bunker in front of the rhinos’ waterholes.

The children have activities to do during the drive, and teachers and headmasters are given pre-visit preparation work to carry out, with post-visit follow up. Careful monitoring and evaluation of the programme will inform its future development.

We are indebted to Maggie Esson, Education Programmes Manager at Chester Zoo, for her input into the creation and ongoing success of this programme.