Involving Local Communities
We are reaching out to our surrounding communities, encouraging sustainable land use and the protection of biodiversity.
Young Environmental Ambassador’s Leadership Course
We have identified an urgent need to work with the rural communities, to initiate action towards sustainable living through environmental education, and have designed a Young Environmental Ambassador’s Leadership Course with ongoing communication.
With the YEA Leadership Course we teach older children how to take care of their communities in a sustainable way that will preserve their cultural and natural heritage.
The 5-day program we provide offers an understanding of biodiversity protection, water and sanitation management, animal husbandry and leadership skills.
False Bay School
When we established Suni-Ridge in 1992, most of the workers at surrounding farms were very poor and no school had been established for their children.
This School Campaign invites school children from developed countries around the world to donate a small amount to the poor children at False Bay School.
Zulu Cultural Heritage
The preservation of Cultural heritage is very important. We are priviledged to be closely involved with our local communities. These photos were taken during a cultural day held at Makhasa School, where Janet Cutherbertson delivered a speech concerning culture, conservation and Eco-Tourism.
Water Catchment Forum
This region’s survival depends strongly on the availability of fresh water. When we experience a drought, the life blood of the lake is all used upstream in it’s catchment and when there is low rainfall, no water at all reaches the lake! There is often a discrepancy between agricultural abstraction quotas and availability of water for the rural areas too.
Read more about the Water Catchment Forum.
Expanding habitat protection of False Bay through interaction with neighbours and the community
We are situated in the False Bay environs of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (previously called The Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park) World Natural Heritage Site where the international conservation requirement for the area, as ratified by the South African Government, is that a buffer zone should be developed around this valuable eco-system.
As one of the first wildlife reserves to be established in this buffer zone area, we have already extended our present boundaries of protection through the voluntary inclusion of surrounding properties. We aim to link our wildlife reserve to others so that we can expand the area of ecological protection and sustainable land use through eco-tourism.
There are still other properties that need to be linked to the protected area around False Bay. It is an area that has a limited rainfall and there are few sustainable land use options.
With the high conservation status of the World Natural Heritage Site area, one of the most viable land use options is eco-tourism, as this provides work and revenue for the local communities and protection of many animal, bird and other species of wildlife and their habitat.
We would really appreciate your support to help us achieve these goals.
3 out of 5 children in rural areas in South Arica face lives of poverty. Young underprivileged children between the ages of 6 and 14 years of age walk miles from their rural homes, to reach the area where they spend their day training in Zulu dance to perform outside Hluhluwe Wildlife Park. Often, they have no lunch, or shelter from rain. Our project will provide meals, and studio shelter for arts, dance, and conservation, to empower them to be leaders while expanding their talent nationally.
While watching Zulu children express their joy and talent through traditional dance and singing, it is difficult to believe that most of them are living lives of poverty, or that they have walked many miles from their rural homes to come to dance. Tourists who pass by often give them applause and provide small tips. This helps the children and their families with income, but their humble needs are so much more! They need shelter in rain or heat, food, and upliftment of their talent.
More than 80 dancers would receive nourishing meals and shelter to protect them from rain. Our expert game guide teaches them leadership skills and to understand how culture is important to conservation. We build their confidence to become Young Environmental Ambassadors and represent dance and deep cultural knowledge at National Arts contests outside their rural area. Although they had never performed on a formal stage before, they recently achieved “High Gold” in their first Regional contest!
More than 80 children will be empowered to reach up from lives of poverty, with confidence and leadership, Their music, art, and dance skills will be optimized together with lessons about the management of the environment, leadership skills, and deep appreciation of culture. They will return to their schools to set up dance, art, and conservation clubs for their peers and share opportunities for them to broaden their world by participating in National and International art and talent contests.
Kujihusisha na Jumuiya za Mitaa: Tunafikia jamii zetu za karibu, tukihimiza matumizi endelevu ya ardhi na ulinzi wa utofauti wa kibiolojia. "Kama ""Mjumbe wa Vijana wa Uongozi wa Mazingira"" Tumeona haja ya haraka ya kufanya kazi na jamii za vijijini, kuanzisha hatua kuelekea maisha endelevu kupitia elimu ya mazingira, na tumeunda ""Mjumbe wa Vijana wa Uongozi wa Mazingira"" na mawasiliano ya kuendelea." Katika kozi ya uongozi ya YEA, tunawafundisha watoto wakubwa jinsi ya kutunza jamii zao kwa njia endelevu ambayo itahifadhi urithi wao wa kitamaduni na asili. Programu ya siku tano ya mafunzo ya uendeshaji wa mifumo ya maji, maji na usafi wa mazingira, ufugaji wa wanyama na ujuzi wa uongozi. Shule ya False Bay: Tulipoanzisha Shule ya Suni Ridge mwaka 1992, wengi wa wafanyakazi wa mashamba ya karibu walikuwa maskini sana na hakuna shule iliyokuwa imeanzishwa kwa ajili ya watoto wao. Kampeni hii ya shule inawaalika watoto wa shule kutoka nchi zilizoendelea duniani kote kutoa kiasi kidogo kwa watoto maskini katika Shule ya False Bay. Urithi wa Utamaduni wa Zulu Uhifadhi wa Urithi wa Utamaduni ni muhimu sana. Tuna pendeleo la kushirikiana kwa karibu na jamii zetu za mitaa. Picha hizi zilichukuliwa wakati wa siku ya kitamaduni iliyofanyika katika Shule ya Makhasa, ambapo Janet Cutherbertson alitoa hotuba kuhusu utamaduni, uhifadhi na Utalii wa Ikolojia. Water Catchment Forum Uhai wa mkoa huu unategemea sana upatikanaji wa maji safi. Tunapopata ukame, damu ya uhai ya ziwa hutumiwa yote juu ya mto katika eneo lake la kuondoa maji na wakati kuna mvua kidogo, hakuna maji yoyote yanayofika ziwa! Mara nyingi kuna kutofautiana kati ya viwango vya uchimbaji wa kilimo na upatikanaji wa maji kwa maeneo ya vijijini pia. Soma zaidi kuhusu Jukwaa la Mkusanyiko wa Maji. "Kupitia mpango wa ""False Bay,"" eneo la False Bay, eneo la iSimangaliso Wetland Park (ililoitwa hapo awali ""Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park"") limekuwa eneo la Urithi wa Asili wa Dunia, na kwa mujibu wa sheria za kimataifa za uhifadhi, eneo hilo linapaswa kuwa na eneo la ulinzi." Kama moja ya hifadhi za wanyama wa porini za kwanza kuanzishwa katika eneo hili la eneo la buffer, tayari tumepanua mipaka yetu ya sasa ya ulinzi kupitia ujumuishaji wa hiari wa mali zinazozunguka. """Tunakusudia kuunganisha hifadhi yetu ya wanyama wa porini na wengine ili tuweze kupanua eneo la ulinzi wa ikolojia na matumizi endelevu ya ardhi kupitia utalii wa ikolojia." Bado kuna mali nyingine ambazo zinahitaji kuunganishwa na eneo linalolindwa karibu na False Bay. Ni eneo ambalo lina mvua ndogo na kuna chaguzi chache za matumizi endelevu ya ardhi. Kwa kuwa eneo hilo ni eneo la Urithi wa Asili wa Ulimwengu, mojawapo ya njia bora za kutumia ardhi ni utalii wa mazingira, kwani hilo hutoa kazi na mapato kwa jamii za eneo hilo na kulinda wanyama wengi, ndege na spishi nyingine za wanyama wa porini na mazingira yao. Tutathamini sana msaada wako kutusaidia kufikia malengo haya. Watoto watatu kati ya watano katika maeneo ya mashambani ya Afrika Kusini wanaishi katika umaskini. Watoto wa umri wa kati ya miaka 6 na 14 wanatembea umbali wa kilomita kadhaa kutoka vijijini kwao, ili kufika eneo wanalofanya mazoezi ya siku nzima ya dansi ya Kizulu ili waigize nje ya Hluhluwe Wildlife Park. Mara nyingi, hawana chakula cha mchana, wala mahali pa kujificha kutokana na mvua. Mradi wetu utatoa chakula, na makazi ya studio kwa sanaa, densi, na uhifadhi, kuwawezesha kuwa viongozi wakati wa kupanua talanta yao kitaifa. Kwa kuwa watoto wa Zulu huonyesha furaha na vipaji vyao kupitia dansi na kuimba, ni vigumu kuamini kwamba wengi wao wanaishi maisha ya umaskini, au kwamba wametembea maili nyingi kutoka vijijini kwao ili kuja kucheza dansi. Mara nyingi watalii wanaopita karibu huwapongeza na kuwapa pesa kidogo. Hilo huwasaidia watoto na familia zao kupata mapato, lakini mahitaji yao ya hali ya chini ni mengi zaidi! Wanahitaji kimbilio wakati wa mvua au joto, chakula, na kuimarishwa kwa vipawa vyao. Zaidi ya wachezaji 80 walipewa chakula na makazi ili kuwalinda kutokana na mvua. Mwongozo wetu wa mchezo wa wataalamu huwafundisha ujuzi wa uongozi na kuelewa jinsi utamaduni ni muhimu kwa uhifadhi. "Tunajenga ujasiri wao kuwa ""Balozi wa Vijana wa Mazingira"" na kuwakilisha dansi na maarifa ya kina ya kitamaduni katika mashindano ya sanaa ya kitaifa nje ya eneo lao la vijijini." Ingawa hawakuwa wamewahi kufanya kazi kwenye hatua rasmi kabla, hivi karibuni walipata <unk>High Gold<unk> katika mashindano yao ya kwanza ya Mkoa! Watoto zaidi ya 80 watapewa nguvu ya kutoka katika maisha ya umaskini, kwa kujiamini na uongozi, ujuzi wao wa muziki, sanaa na densi utaendelezwa pamoja na masomo kuhusu usimamizi wa mazingira, ujuzi wa uongozi na uthamini mkubwa wa utamaduni. Watarudi shule zao kuanzisha klabu za densi, sanaa na uhifadhi kwa wenzao na kushiriki fursa kwa ajili yao kupanua ulimwengu wao kwa kushiriki katika mashindano ya kitaifa na ya kimataifa ya sanaa na vipaji.