“The most important thing I learned is that elephants are friendly to people who do not harm them and they do not harm people if they don’t have a reason.”
Kimberly Namasts, A. Gariseb Primary grade 7
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EHRA’S SCHOOL ELEPHANT SAFETY PROJECT
Elephants visit schools in elephant areas
Often, elephants visit schools situated in elephant areas, especially A. Gariseb Primary School, located on the banks of the Ugab River, where elephants roam frequently. When elephants walk through the school, they often break water installations and raid the vegetable garden, which puts the lives of the 250 school learners at risk. The children and teachers, who have never learnt how to understand elephants, might react badly towards them, which can agitate the elephants and lead to dangerous confrontations.
Enhanced knowledge about elephants
The immediate priority is to ensure individual safety amongst all school learners who are regularly exposed to elephants within the school facilities and at their homes. Our long-term goal is to enhance the youths knowledge about elephants and the environment, to spark their interest in conservation and create appreciation for their natural heritage. In rural areas like these, tourism is the only industry creating job opportunities, and the children’s new competencies and skills gained through our courses might help them acquire jobs, thus reducing unemployment and poverty.
Help fund our work
Project activities:
Basic elephant biology, behaviour & social structure
Elephant safety training
Elephant tracking, ID, sexing
Basic ecology and conservation
Information on careers in ecotourism and conservation
ABOUT THE SCHOOL ELEPHANT SAFETY PROJECT
The School Elephant Safety Project is a weekend-long activity which, throughout the years, takes learners through 3 levels of competencies. Through fun-based learning activities and theory sessions, the project helps school learners and teachers to understand elephant behaviour and teaches them how to be safe during encounters. After the theory lessons, the project leaders take the participants into the field on vehicle-based elephant patrols to learn how to track and experience the elephants close up and witness their behaviour first-hand. For many children and teachers, this is the first time they have seen elephants in a safe, relaxed environment. Often, through these encounters, they overcome their fear of elephants. The knowledge and skills gained during the weekend are fundamental for their day-to-day safety and may help to prevent human-elephant conflicts both now, as they share their knowledge with their families and communities, and as community members in the future.
“I liked the way you were teaching us about elephants and that we had to climb a mountain to see the elephants!”
Denze Eiseb, A. Gariseb Primary grade 6
“I did see that the elephant is big and has big feet. I want the elephant in my life because I love it.”
Benjamin Tsuseb, A. Gariseb Primary grade
“I liked learning about the comfort zones of the elephants. I disliked that the course was too short!”
Ronaldo //Guruseb, A. Gariseb Primary grade 6
