Supporting Namibia's most vulnerable children & creating a legacy of conservation.

Children in the Wilderness Namibia, a joint venture with Wilderness Safaris Namibia, has touched the lives of over 400 children. The programme was initiated after Paul Newman visited Botswana in 2001. Newman's organisation, the Association of Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, is dedicated to offering educational and recreational camps for children with life threatening conditions in America and Europe. With their inspiration, Wilderness Safaris developed a similar programme in Southern Africa, with activities focusing on orphaned and vulnerable children in rural environments. Children in the Wilderness began in Botswana in 2001 and was brought to Namibia in 2002.

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Four weeks out of each year, Wilderness Safaris closes the doors to paying guests at one of its luxury camps. Either Kulala Tented Camp near Sossusvlei or Palmwag Rhino Camp in Northern Damaraland turns its attention to Namibia's most vulnerable children, those whose childhoods have been disrupted by poor health, poverty and the HIV/Aids epidemic. The main goal of Children in the Wilderness (CITW) is to help these young Namibians cope with life's challenges and to educate, empower and inspire them to be all that they can be. All of this, while creating a legacy of conservation.

In the week long CITW camps, a group of approximately twenty-four children, ages 10-16, come together from all over Namibia. Through activities like guided walks, rhino tracking and game drives, they discover Namibia's abundant wildlife and its habitat. The children also learn about the importance of conservation and the role that they can play in protecting Namibia's valuable resources. The hope is that the children are inspired to become guides, conservationists or to work in Namibia's tourist industry. The camps also provide an emotionally safe and supportive environment where the children can increase their self-esteem and confidence. Throughout the week they learn a variety of life skills and explore a range of topics. The camp encourages team work, self awareness and gender equity and also dedicates time to HIV/Aids education, arts and crafts, nutrition and health, theatre, music, games, sports and reflection.

Connie Botma is the Director of Children in the Wilderness and has worked in education for the past fifteen years. According to Connie, "Research has shown that for orphaned and vulnerable children, the most important factor contributing to their resilience is a long term relationship with a caring, committed adult." CITW thus strives to develop long-term relationships with these children and to continue to support them beyond their one week camp experience. "Our follow-up programme has been designed to build on the learning experience of our educational camps and to continue supporting the children to achieve the programme goals," says Connie. "We aim to increase the resilience and opportunities of the children not only to cope with their difficult circumstances but to rise above them. The challenge is to create a range of incentives for the children that assist them in creating productive and joyful lives and contributing to conservation of our unique environment."

The highlight of CITW's follow-up programme is another camp. The six-day interactive camp engages an ethnically diverse group of children in a wide range of activities that revive traditions from the previous camp while introducing a wider range of new topics including eco-challenges, income-generating craft projects, vocational counseling and more in-depth conservation projects. Space in follow-up camps is limited, however, so CITW continues to develop innovative ways to support these children outside of an actual camp experience. Reduced school fees, participation in hobbies, study bursaries, volunteer work, counseling, project visits, internships and access to educational resources are all part of CITW's vision for its follow-up programme. "Children in the Wilderness is in it for the long haul," says Connie. "With continued support from our sponsors, we want to create a network of learning sanctuaries that care for our children and our planet."

To learn more about Children in the Wilderness, contact Connie Botma at [e-mail] or telephone [phone].