acs newsletter august 2015 final low res singles

African Conservation SchoolsNewsletter – August 2015

INSIDE:ACS next stop Uganda pg 1

Celebration in DR Congo pg 2

Phase II construction starts at Lupani pg 4

I always have a nervous sense of anticipation when I plan a trip to the interior of the DR Congo. The area is so remote, so rural, so unusual. Congo trips

are always an adventure.

But this particular trip was special. As the new Managing Director of AWF’s African Conservation Schools program, I was traveling with AWF’s CEO Dr. Patrick Bergin to participate in the official opening of the Ilima Conservation Primary School.

It was indeed an honor to be representing ACS, and the entire AWF organization, on such a meaningful occasion. As I watched the smiling faces of the students during the opening ceremony, I knew that I had

transitioned to this role with a heartwarming and impactful purpose.

Much of AWF’s conservation efforts are focused on working with communities to help protect and preserve their local environment, and the wildlife that depends on that environment. AWF has always sought to provide incentives to communities to encourage participation and offset the cost of changing behaviors. Historically, this has been rooted in economics with increased income as the driving force.

Beyond income, many communities voice a desire for access to better education. The educational systems in many countries are stretched; ministries of education are faced with an endless list of needs and limited budgets. This scenario presents an opportunity for the ACS program to help bridge the gap while promoting conservation of critical ecosystems and their species.

And there aren’t too many species on the continent that are as critically endangered as

the beloved bonobo. Ilima is one of the many communities that sit in the midst of bonobo territory; working with the community and government agencies to rebuild a dilapidated school provided an additional incentive to protect the bonobo habitat, and build the link between education and conservation.

The journey began two years ago, and this trip was another step in the journey. Today, Ilima is a light-filled, fun place to learn, with indoor and outdoor learning spaces that provide opportunities for hands-on appreciation of the environment. The students may not yet fully appreciate all the unique elements of the campus, but they know that their new school is special. The parents and teachers know that Ilima is a special school.

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment know that Ilima is a special school. I am simply proud of AWF and what we are able to achieve.

When I took on the leadership of the ACS program, I didn’t fully anticipate the emotional attachment and the responsibility of constructing a new school and improving the quality of education. I am now beginning to appreciate the magnitude of the impact that we can have on children’s lives, and the environment in which they live.

As I told the crowd gathered at the ceremony, the opening of the school is not the end but only the beginning. We will continue to support the Ilima Conservation Primary School and ensure the campus continues to provide the quality education and conservation awareness that we intended. If the smiles and cheers were any indication, we have a good start.

Brian McBrearity Managing Director, African Conservation Schools

A New Beginning

ACS promotes conservation in Africa by providing a sustainable network

of quality primary schools and teachers to communities living

in key AWF wildlife areas.

African Conservation Schools Staff

Brian McBrearityManaging Director

Perrin BanksProgram Manager

Elizabeth BabalolaConservation Management Associate

AWF Senior Staff

Patrick BerginChief Executive Officer

Jeff ChrisfieldChief Operations Officer

The ACS Newsletter is published four times a year.© 2015 African Wildlife Foundation

African Conservation Schoolspowered by the

Cover photo: Billy Dodson

the opening of the school is not the end, but only the beginning

African Wildlife Foundation


AWF Conservation Centre Ngong Road, Karen P.O. Box 310, 00502

Nairobi, KenyaPhone +254 20 2765000 Fax +254 20 2765030

Washington, DC 1400 16th Street, NW

Suite 120 Washington, DC 20036

Toll Free +1 888 494 5354 Phone +1 202 939 3333Fax +1 202 939 3332

email: [email protected]

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Next Stop for ACS: UGANDA T he African Conservation Schools program is

expanding to Uganda! Following a due diligence mission to Kidepo Valley in February 2015, two sites were identified and approved for ACS

engagement: Kidepo Primary School in Karanga Sub-county and Sarachom Primary Schools in Lobalangit Sub-county. The development of an ACS cluster around the Kidepo Valley National Park and adjacent wildlife corridor will support AWF’s existing programs in the region, and reinforce and perpetuate AWF’s conversation goals while expanding access to education for children in an overcrowded school system.

Kidepo Primary School will be a new school to serve the families of the Geremech community and Ugandan Wildlife Authority’s park staff who have limited access to local schooling. At Sarachom Primary School, ACS will improve and expand the existing facilities to provide classes through Grade 7.

Following the due diligence review and approval of the two school sites, ACS launched a selection process for a local architect to design and oversee the development of classrooms, associated offices, teacher housing and full landscaping for both schools. The process began with a request for Expressions of Interest from Ugandan architectural firms, from which four firms were shortlisted as potential candidates. In preparation for their design proposals, representatives from the four firms were taken on a site visit to the two school sites in Kidepo Valley. Representatives from the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, the Ministry of Education, local government and local community participated in both site visits. Representatives of the community and Ministry of Education expressed their appreciation to AWF for deciding to invest in the schools.

The architects were optimistic about the potential of both sites and are enthusiastic to submit design proposals for the next phase of the selection process. Once an architect is selected, the next step will be to meet with AWF staff, teachers, and local community leaders and conduct an initial site survey ahead of the concept and design phase. Early expectations for the completion of both schools is by the end of the first half of 2016.

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Sarachom Primary School sits adjacent to the central forest reserve, but has limited facilities to meet the primary school needs of students.

ACS engagement in this landscape supports the ongoing protection and preservation of the spectacular Kidepo Valley National Park and adjacent wildlife corridors.

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African Conservation Schools August 2015

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In March, the Ilima Conservation Primary School was officially opened at a ceremony filled with dancing, singing, and general enthusiasm… a milestone achievement for the

ACS program and the Ilima community.

The Ilima Conservation Primary School is the first school fully conceptualized, designed, constructed and opened under the ACS program. To witness and participate in this momentous occasion were representatives from DR Congo’s Ministries of Education and Environment, the ICCN (the Congolese authority responsible for wildlife management), AWF, and its project partner MASS Design Group. However, the dignitaries were far outnumbered by the students, teachers, and broader community that participated in the fun-filled day. While providing improved access to quality education is a fundamental goal of the ACS program, the underlying objective is to promote and reinforce the linkages between education and conservation. In their speeches, each of the government officials referenced the importance of the school to environmental conservation efforts. The representative from the Ministry of Environment told the students that Ilima is a “pioneering school,” and its emphasis on environmental awareness and education should serve as an example for other schools in the district.

ACS is now continuing the momentum at Ilima, by working closely with the school administration to plan for the continuing conservation education activities and further teacher training on both teaching methodologies and conservation/environmental issues.

Celebration in rural DR Congo

School Updates

LEFT: One of the VIPs at the Ilima inaugural celebration, AWF CEO Patrick Bergin (right) had the honor of both unveiling the Ilima school sign and cutting the ceremonial ribbon (which bore the colors of the Congolese flag).

ABOVE: Students and teachers were front-and-center during the opening ceremony. The students performed local dances for all the gathered guests.


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1. The inauguration was attended by various officials, including representatives from the Ministry of Education and the Congolese wildlife authority. Speakers reinforced the link between the school and conservation.

2. Understanding the importance of the school and the day, many community members attended the inauguration—whether or not they had children attending the school.

3. This side view of the school shows an elegantly designed building constructed of local materials.

4. The students danced and sang for the guests to celebrate the opening of the new school.

5. A tour of the school revealed airy classrooms that feature views of the tropical forest. All furniture was handmade by community members as part of the overall project.

6. The representative from the Ministry of Environment called Ilima a “pioneer” school and said it should serve as a model for others schools in the province.

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CONSTRUCTION OF LUPANI PHASE II BEGINS

The second phase of Lupani construction began in early July 2015. This followed a successful tender and evaluation process, which concluded in May 2015 with the approval to

hire Justrays Construction Ltd., a contractor based out of Lusaka, Zambia. The site was handed over to Justrays on 24th June 2015, with a groundbreaking ceremony subsequently held in early July. All construction works, including landscaping (i.e. tree/grass planting, construction of a water tank, and play equipment) are scheduled to be complete by the end of November 2015.

During construction of phase II, Justrays has ensured that any unskilled labor will be hired from within the local community to bring employment and build capacity. Joint monitoring site visits with the architect, the Ministry of Education, and ACS will take place on a monthly basis.

The excitement for this new space at the school emanates from the children as they point and look with smiles and laughter at the ongoing construction. The teachers are equally eager to have an additional classroom, allowing all lessons to be held in the morning with time and space for activities in the afternoon.

While the construction of phase II is just beginning, ongoing support of the school administration and staff continues. In July, Lupani’s teachers attended their second conservation awareness training and on June 22nd, students and teachers celebrated World Giraffe Day with lessons about giraffes and other fun activities. The training and World Giraffe Day event were both facilitated with technical support from conservation education partner Children in the Wilderness.

“What is happening to the children is that the education here has improved,” said Mwiza Siloka, a PTA committee member from Katoya village. “Because even other students coming to Lupani don’t know how to read or write, but once they reach Lupani, in a short time, they know how to read English and speak English. They improve. Lupani School has a very good education system.”

Workers lay out the footprint of the new building.

The expansion of Lupani will allow for each of the seven primary classes to have their own classrooms, as well as a dedicated library/multipurpose room for the students and offices for the staff.

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CONSTRUCTION OF LUPANI PHASE II BEGINS

The construction team lays out footprint for the new buildings at Adisge community school site.

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Adisge Underway

Designs for the new school make use of local available materials and are specifically tailored to the local climatic conditions—hot and dry during the day, cold at night.

During these past few months, much progress has been made at Adisge. The local architect for Adisge has been working hard to ensure that the school designs align with all

stakeholders’ interests and needs. Informal focus groups were held with local community members and experts to test design ideas and ensure their practicality and usefulness. In March 2015, Tenot submitted a design proposal that not only aligns with the ACS design approach, but is child-friendly and responds to the needs of the community through simple, yet sustainable design principles. External landscaping elements were a major aspect to the design concept, with low-cost solutions for outdoor teaching and play areas and a planting strategy using species indigenous to the Simien Mountains National Park’s ecosystem.

The school designs were internally approved in May 2015 and a tender process followed in June. After a successful tender evaluation, a contract was signed in July 2015 with Daniel Alebachew, an Ethiopian general contractor. Mobilization of work crews and purchasing of materials

has begun. One of the ancillary benefits of this construction design is the ability to purchase materials from the local community. Eucalyptus poles, stones, and other materials will be sourced locally, providing some extended economic benefits to the community, and promoting a community effort in the development of the school campus. The contractor and architect

have held meetings with the local Adisge community to discuss material needs, availability and pricing.

A further development over the last quarter was the signing of the conservation agreement between the Adisge Community, Ethiopia’s Department of Education, and AWF. This agreement provides the foundation for the relationship between AWF and its local partners, and defines the ongoing roles and responsibilities of each party. More importantly, it highlights and reinforces the conservation commitments by the community, in return for AWF’s support of its school. Within the community, the conservation messaging and commitment was reinforced by members’ concerns for the condition of the Simien Mountain National Park, its wildlife and its ecosystem.

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Challenges develop at Manyara Ranch

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ACS has begun an exciting renovation of the large Manyara Ranch Primary School, a

boarding school that sits adjacent to the AWF-managed Manyara Ranch Conservancy (a 40,000-acre conservancy between Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park, in northern Tanzania). The renovation program focused on updating the campus conditions, including new landscaping and erosion mitigation. Renovation and reinforcement of the dormitories and other buildings completed the overall project scope.

During the early part of the renovation progress at Manyara Ranch, the local architects and contractors identified a few key challenges that have caused the ACS team to pause and rethink the approach to the school’s redevelopment.

Most of the buildings on campus have structural issues that have generated concerns over the long-term stability and safety of the buildings. The ACS team worked closely with the contractors and architects to determine if these structural challenges could be resolved through adapted renovations, or wether another course of action be more prudent.

After much deliberation and assessment, the teams jointly concluded that the safety and stability of the existing structures could not be effectively repaired, and the best approach would be a rebuilding of the existing structures.

While a setback in the timelines and expectations of all involved, the ACS team does feel that this is the only responsible way forward to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for the roughly 900 students and teachers living at the Manyara Ranch Primary School. Even though

reconstruction was not part of the original plan, the team is optimistic that the resulting project will be even more enlightening than originally envisioned.

Currently, ACS is investigating approaches to rebuild the existing buildings on campus, with a priority being the dormitories. ACS is in the process of erecting temporary accommodations for the students, while local contractors and architects are developing proposals for a reconstruction project.

Supporting the overall upgrade of the Manyara Ranch Primary School facilities is the fabrication of new desks and chairs for the school. Tembo Chipboards, a local manufacturer, is finalizing the order of 360 wooden desk-and-bench pieces that will accommodate 720 students.

The new furniture will be a much-appreciated upgrade to the school classrooms. Final delivery of the furniture will be dependent on the overall redevelopment progress of Manyara Ranch Primary School. Assembly of the pieces will occur on site, simultaneously allowing for local training on upkeep and maintenance of the furniture.

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Increasing students’ exposure to and awareness of environmental issues are fundamental to instilling

conservation values at a young age. ACS can influence individual actions and perspectives on wildlife and natural resources, not only in the student population, but with teachers, parents and the community. Recently, the ACS team drafted a Conservation Education strategy that defines program goals and implementation approach. Importantly, this strategy complements respective national primary school curriculums, rather than changing or adapting them. The draft strategy is currently under internal review.

ACS’s approach will be to work with school administrators and teachers to develop a school-specific implementation plan. This approach will allow for each school’s plan to adhere to local needs and generate enthusiasm, support, and buy-in from staff onthe ground.

School programs will provide exposure to local plant and wildlife species, information about AWF’s conservation activities in the community, and opportunities to take simple actions for conservation. In addition to grade-level activities, school like competitions or projects may enable interested students to do in-depth studies of local species and conservation issues. All activities will focus on developing an appreciation for the local environment, wildlife species, and collectively our human connection to nature.

ACS is piloting the draft strategy at both Lupani and Ilima. At Lupani, the draft conservation education plan has been developed, which details a schedule of teacher training sessions on conservation education, grade-level activities, club events, field trips and other activities. A similar process is underway to develop a customized work plan for Ilima.

Developing a STRATEGY

Lupani students celebrate World Giraffe Day with activities and games, facilitated by ACS partner Children in the Wilderness.

Success Best Accomplished When Working With Others

The ACS program is a multifaceted approach to linking conservation, wildlife appreciation and primary

education. ACS fully appreciates the contribution and capacities of other organizations that specialize in one or more of the ACS program elements. If the program is going to succeed in all of its ambitions, it will need to identify, connect, and work with those organizations that bring the expertise and experience in specific program elements. ACS is working to develop new partner relationships; while many are still in their infancy, ACS is

cautiously optimistic that these initial endeavors will grow and expand.

Bushtracks, a noted Livingstone-based safari operator and longstanding friend of AWF, has agreed to provide two annual field trips for classes at Lupani. ACS anticipates the first Busktracks-led school safari to be held in August with Lupani’s Grade 7. These trips will allow students to experience wildlife in its natural setting, visiting Mosi-o-Tunya National Park and the world-renowned Victoria Falls. Similarly, a new relationship is emerging with Children in the Wilderness (CITW)—an organization focused on educating children about

wildlife, environment, and conservation.

CITW worked with ACS and the

Lupani school to host the World

Giraffe Day activities mentioned above. To complement conservation education, local professional development organization Sifunda partnered with ACS to deliver a needs assessment and subsequent capacity building of the staff. With four trainings completed in literacy and mathematic methodologies, the teachers have expressed appreciation and are dedicated to further developing their skills.

Given Lupani’s longstanding relationship with AWF, many of ACS’s pilot partnerships are beginning there. However, other schools will quickly follow. ACS is exploring linkages for Ilima, including working with the bonobo conservation organization Lola Ya Bonobo, to deliver conservation education materials to schools in communities committed to bonobo protection and conservation.

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Beyond the Buildings


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As a not-for-profit social enterprise, Sifunda provides continuing professional development to schools and team building to businesses in Zambia. Its mission is to enable communities to fulfill their potential through quality lifelong learning. Sifunda excels in being educational development facilitators, combining on-the -ground understanding of African school contexts with international research-based best practice.

At Lupani, ACS has partnered with Sifunda to assess the training and capacity-building needs of the existing teaching staff, and to design further training programs to fulfill those areas of need. Sifunda believes in improving

pupil outcomes through school staff development. Even though Sifunda is providing a tailored-made solution to Lupani, the organization is providing the groundwork for broader capacity-building programs at other schools in the ACS portfolio.

Regarding the engagement at Lupani, Sifunda Director Kate Young said, “The teachers are enthusiastic and motivated to further develop their [practices], and the strong leadership team has fostered a culture of continuing professional development.” For more information, visit: sifundalearning.org

Sifunda

Ilima Conservation Primary School

Acres of Land Impacted

Conservation Activities Held

Teachers Trained

Average Attendance

Manyara Ranch Primary School

Lupani Community School

TOTALS

42,000

85,250

2 events with student participation in eco clubs

7trained in professional development

311Up from 306

864Up from 814

157Up from 95

11received training in professional development and conservation curriculum activities development

5events with students particpating in ecoclubs, field trips and World Giraffe Day activities

7 159,800181,332

32,5502%

6%

65%

Measuring the Results

Partner Profile

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© 2015

About African Wildlife FoundationFounded in 1961, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is a leading conservation organization focused solely on the African continent. AWF’s programs and conservation strategies are based on sound science and designed to protect both the wild lands and wildlife of Africa and ensure a more sustainable future for Africa’s people.

Since its inception, AWF has protected endangered species and land, promoted conservation enterprises that benefit

local African communities, and trained hundreds of African nationals in conservation—all to ensure the survival of Africa’s unparalleled wildlife heritage. AWF is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Kenya and registered as a 501(c)(3) in the United States.

For more information, visit awf.org.

The ACS team is looking forward to a busy and exciting second half of 2015. Our new engagement in the Kidepo landscape will begin to take shape, and ACS will be reviewing designs and working with the local communities on the conservation agreements in the coming months. A more fully developed project plan will be finalized for the Manyara Ranch school, which the team hopes will result in a rejuvenated and rewarding site for students and teachers alike.

In addition to the physical progress at the other school sites, the ACS team will focus on building partner relationships

and formalizing those partnerships—seeking out those organizations that can add to the depth and support that the team can offer its partner schools.

With the pilot development of conservation education strategies at both Ilima and Lupani, ACS will support the school administration and staff on the implementation of those plans.

There is much on the to-do list, but the ACS team is looking forward to a busy and productive rest of 2015.

The ACS program relies on the considerable financial support from individual supporters and family foundations, as well as in-kind contributions from partners in the field. On behalf our partners at the Ministries of Education as well as the teachers, students and parents in our supported schools, the ACS team thanks all of its supporters. These activities would not have been possible without you.

On the Horizon

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African Wildlife FoundationHeadquartersNgong Road KarenP.O. Box 310, 00502NAIROBI, KENYATel: +254 0711 063000Fax: +254 20 276 5030

Washington, DC, Office1400 Sixteenth Street, NWSuite 120WASHINGTON, DC 20036, USATel: +1 202 939 3333Toll free: +1 888 494 5354Fax: +1 202 939 3332

awf.org

[email protected]

acs newsletter august 2015 final low res singles

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