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DAKTARI Impacting Children

After 12 years of working in the area, the impact DAKTARI is having on the community is becoming increasingly visible.

DAKTARI Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage works in the South African bush to educate local children about the environment and ignite their passion for wildlife. Each week, DAKTARI welcomes eight new students to their camp to attend lessons, do activities, and interact with the animals in their wildlife orphanage. When the children arrive at the DAKTARI camp on Monday, they fill in a general survey that works as a level indicator. The questions are based on crucial points of their education that they may or may not have learned in school or in life as of yet. The questionnaire is used as a progression sheet as they are asked to fill out the same questions when they leave on Friday. Through mapping the results of this survey it has become evident that the progression the children are making throughout the week has decreased over the last three years (2015-2017). Although they are learning the same content as the previous years, the children posses more knowledge on these topics when they arrive. This is particularly the case with their understanding of environmental awareness. This demonstrates, that after over 12 years of working in this area, the impact DAKTARI is having on the community is becoming increasingly visible. As more children come to DAKTARI, they spread their knowledge to their family and friends making them aware of certain environmental issues. DAKTARI has now reached over 4000 children and each child that attends becomes an important ambassador to spread their knowledge into the nearby villages. DAKTARI also works in the community and the twice-weekly Eco Clubs the children attend at the local schools help them expand their knowledge after they have been to DAKTARI. Moreover, children that have never been to DAKTARI can also attend to learn about the environment. The DAKTARI team regularly meet with the teachers and headmasters of the local schools and the schools have reported significant improvements in the students who have attended DAKTARI. This includes increased concentration in the classroom, more confidence to speak up in class, an increase in politeness and self-esteem and a higher pass rate at the end of the year.

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