Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Conservation Training and Mentoring Project underway in Oshana, Kavango East, Kavango West, and Kunene regions

MEDIA CONTACT: Annetjie Siyaya, annetjie@cheetah.org or +264 81 822 8657

OTJIWARONGO, NAMIBIA (30 August 2021) — Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) launched its 2021 Conservation Training and Mentoring Project by promoting the project at schools in Oshana Region on 23 August 2021. This project whose target group is grade 10 students in Namibia, was successfully launched for the first time in 2020 as an alternative approach to delivering the Future Conservationist of Africa (FCA) Programme following the COVID-19 pandemic. The project involves three phases; the outreach phase which promotes the project among the target students at participating schools, the online phase which raises awareness and shares detailed knowledge on the cheetah and the role of predators in Namibian ecosystems, while exposing participating students to CCF’s various professionals and how they all work to conserve the cheetah, and the third phase involves mentoring students and sharing information on what careers are available in conservation.

Last year CCF reached over 2,000 students in six regions (Otjozondjupa, Khomas, Omaheke, Erongo, Oshikoto and Kunene) across Namibia with this project. This year CCF was fortunate to receive a second round of generous funding from Anglo American through Ambassadors for Goodwill in the UK, and CCF is extending the project to four other regions and schools in Namibia; Oshana, Kavango East, Kavango West, and Kunene regions.

CCF Education Manager, Annetjie Siyaya and Lead Environmental Educator, Ignatius Davids received overwhelming response from schools that were invited to participate. In the first three days of the outreach in Oshana, Annetjie and Ignatius reached 15 schools and over 1,000 students in and around the towns of Ondangwa, Ongwediva and Oshakati. The next destination is Kavango East/West regions and the duo looks forward to encouraging and motivating young people to participate in the project, as this project will empower and equip the next generation of conservationists.

“CCF’s education staff have been active even during the pandemic, developing online courses and working as possible with learners throughout Namibia, to share the importance of conservation and the environment to all Namibians as well as the importance of predators, and cheetahs to a healthy ecosystem”, said CCF Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Marker.

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CCF Centre

The Cheetah Conservation Fund Field Research & Education Centre is open to the public every day from 08:00 to 17:00 except 25 December. The Centre hosts community members and school groups from Namibia as well as international tourists and groups from all over the world. The Centre also offers Day & Overnight programs at Camp Lightfoot. Day Programs are free, while a small fee is charged for Overnight programs. Visitors have the opportunity to see some of CCF’s non-releasable cheetahs, which adds another context and reinforces the knowledge they have gained from CCF’s School Outreach Program or books.

The Cheetah Conservation Fund Field Research & Education Centre is located 45 km from the town of Otjiwarongo on the D2440 road.

For more information, contact: ccfinfo@iway.na or go to www.cheetah.org.