We just had to support a charity called Tusk. But Tusk isn't solely about elephants; it's more about educating, encouraging and helping local people to live in harmony with wildlife.
For more than 18 years, Tusk has helped to conserve wildlife, promoted education and supported community development programmes across Africa. By supporting local community programmes, Tusk helps to reduce poverty and stimulate sustainable development - taking the pressure off poor rural communities who live side by side with wildlife.
Tusk does this in many ways. For example, Tusk donated a fleet of 4x4 vehicles and a mechanical workshop to aid the rehabilitation of the vast Niassa Game Reserve in Mozambique. In Botswana, Tusk provides valuable funds for a highly successful environmental education centre at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve, visited each year by over 12,000 children. It's also recently built a wildlife rehabilitation clinic in the reserve used to treat animals, inside and outside the reserve.
Rhinos
The Mkomazi Project set up a black rhino breeding project with rhinos imported from the UK - the first black rhino to be rehabilitated into Tanzania. Tusk Trust funds the security and communications system used by the game guards who monitor the rhinos every day.
Gorillas too
In Rwanda, Tusk has funded three water tanks to ensure communities in Virunga have a continuous supply of fresh water. This saves them a huge amount of time each day and means people don't have to enter the Virunga Volcano's National Park to collect water. The park is home to the last remaining Mountain Gorillas, whose population is so small that they would probably be wiped out if they contracted a human disease.
Tusk is supported by many UK celebrities including Rory Bremner, Ronnie Wood, Griff Rhys Jones, Joanna Lumley, Zoe Ball, Ben Fogle and Alistair McGowan, and their Royal Patron, HRH Prince William.
To find out more about their projects or to make a donation, visit the Tusk website. |
