Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

Global Friends

This month we have been super busy working on the Fundu Library Project and I am very happy to say that it is completed! The World Wide Experience volunteers came to help me every Friday morning, putting in shelving, arranging books, assembling furniture the works! On Thursday 23/06/2011 the school had a special handover ceremony to thank all the sponsors and the volunteers. The choir sang for us and they hired traditional dancers who gave a very good performance. Here are some of the main sponsors we would like to thank:

• Born Free Global Friends Grant
• Shamwari Game Reserve
• Mantis Collection
• Avis
• Lynne Hoy (a WWE volunteer who donated over R5000 worth of books)

This was our final major Global Friends Project this far we have assisted five schools with the following:

• Khaya Khulu Primary
• Two photocopiers
• Phone/fax
• Service program and paper for 72 000 copies
• Môreson Primary
• Converted classroom to TV room (carpeting, curtains, paint)
• 15 x office chairs for computer room
• Security gates and burglar bars for computer and TV room
• DVD player
• Various educational DVDs
• Watering cans for tree project
• Kinkelbos Primary
• Purchased and refurbished a second hand classroom
• Posters for Pre-school classroom
• Hendrik Kanise Combined School
• Over R8000 worth of textbooks
• Refurbishing of old house on school property into Environmental Clubhouse and sickroom (made benches, purchased TV, DVD player, bed, bedding and first aid kit, burglar bars)
• Gardening equipment for organic vegetable garden
• Sandisulwazi High School
• Lawnmower
• Gardening equipment
• Container library with laptops, books, audio books and portable CD players

Funding has also been used to assist various other small community projects such as the Paterson Clinic and Bavumeleni Crèche. From here on funding will be used to maintain projects and assist with other educational needs at the schools. I would also like to use the opportunity to thank the various sponsors that helped to make all these projects possible by assisting us with funds, great discounts and support and the World Wide Experience Volunteers for helping with all the hard work and labour that went into these projects.

Eco-schools

The project has been very quiet this month due to mid-year exams and now school holidays. We have a very busy term ahead of us with Rhino Day, Clean Up and Arbour Week. So as soon as the schools reopen I will have to have a meeting with the co-ordinators. Looking forward to the term ahead although it is my busiest time of year I am excite for all the activities lined up!

FGASA Workshops

This month I took the students to see the Addo National Park Interpretive Centre where they gained a lot of information about the animals and plants of this area.