A Scholarship for A Child To Go To School in Afric

Dear Supporters, 

After teaching our students from the local community in classrooms, we always plan to take them out on either game drives or through Kruger National Park to introduce them to the environment we teach about. This past month was an incredible trip into the Kruger National Park.

Snacks were packed, students were lined up in the seats and cameras were ready for action as we headed out at 5am to see what animals we could find in Kruger National Park. A small voice piped up, “we would love to see a lion, most of us have never seen one!” So off we went, perusing the savanna for a special large cat. 

Giraffes, zebras, buffalo and many herds of elephants were all ticked off the list, but no sign of any lions - yet. Halfway through the day, tired and sweaty from the excitement of the morning, we hunkered down in a shady spot to enjoy some lunch. As we were ready to head home, another student said again, “please can we look for a lion, it would be really special for us to see one.” 

Time was running out before the gates of the park closed and in a last-ditch effort, we decided to check one last gravel road and try our luck for our tan, furry friends. Already quite far along the road, we were ready to give up, but as we rounded a corner, we spotted more than 30 vultures among the trees, perched and waiting. But, waiting for what? Continuing around the corner and - lions! Yes! We had found the magnificent creature we set out to find, but they were quite a distance from the vehicle, and we started to pass around the lone pair of binoculars. 

A series of events unfolded as we sat and watched. Three lions laid in the shade on a kill and we had

strategically parked between them and a watering hole. In the heat of the day, they were mostly sedentary, getting up occasionally to rub noses with one another. But to our surprise, one large male decided to mosey over towards the water and with us in his path, he was headed straight for our vehicle. Our van was silent as he soberly walked inches away from us and continued down for a drink. The students were buzzing as we drove towards home, what an amazing day we had! 

Most of these students have lived in South Africa all their lives and have never even seen wildlife like this before. Seeing animals and interrelationships first-hand is so important when teaching about conservation. Allowing children these kinds of experiences couldn’t be done without the gracious help of our donors. So, thank you for helping us change the world by teaching our younger generations. 

With love, 

The Karongwe Team