The 24th of September is Heritage day in South Africa and celebrating our country's diverse cultures and heritage is a big celebration. For one of our Unearthed Community Leader Programme entrepreneurs, this was also a time to celebrate our natural heritage by supporting a group of rural school children from areas around the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve on their first visit to the park. 

Zama started her business, Naledi Edutours in 2019, one of our first groups of entrepreneurs on the Unearthed Programme and supported by the Kenchaan Foundation. The trip was supported by Andre Steenkamp, one of South Africa's most talented environmental educators and a mentor to Zama. The children were exposed to a range of wildlife but also focused on valuable learning moments such as discovering how truly amazing grasses are, that huge animals can grow to such size just on a diet of grasses to the many life lessons from the Buffalo Thorn tree and the significance of nature in the world’s religions.

 A highlight for the children was a close encounter with an elephant and finishing the day off with lunch and some traditional Zulu Dancing. Feedback from the group was overwhelming, the thirst for knowledge and interest in learning more about the natural world is a clear indication of the need for the valuable work Zama and Naledi Edutours offers. 

With your help, Zama can do so much more of this sort of work. Your donation towards a school group with Zama ensures, safe transport, entry fees, educational resources and lunch for a group of ten children visiting the park for their first time. You'll be helping to create the next generation of nature lovers in communities around Hluhluwe iMfolozi and supporting Zama's passion for educating youth about the environment. To support an environment education outing for an underprivileged school with Zama, please click here.