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Highlights of 2008!
December 2008 marks All Out Africa's 5 th year of operation. It has been a period of great advances for the organisation as a whole and has been a very rewarding year on a variety of fronts. These are some of All Out Africa's highlights of 2008....
Christmas party 2008, Phophonyane Lodge
Standing: Nokuthula, Adriana, Ncobile, Nikki, Patience, Kim, Rachael, Belinda, Sifiso, Shadile, Tristan, Dumsile, Tarna
Sitting: Fanyana, Siboniso, Bongani, Mduduzi, Roland, Zach
PROGRAMMES During 2008 we started new programmes in Cape Town , South Africa and in Tofo , Mozambique and we closed our programme in Ponta d Ouro , Mozambique .
STAFF
The Staff of All Out Africa make the organisation! We have grown from a team of 7 full-time staff in January 2008 to 13 at present. New staff members include:
- Rachael Wood Manager, Lidwala Backpacker Lodge , Swaziland
- Ncobile Mgabi Cleaner
- Nikki Johnston , Information and Accounts Officer, Swaziland
- Nokuthula Sibandze , Co-ordinator, Community Projects, Swaziland
- Adriana Mendez-Jimenez, Co-ordinator, Whaleshark Project , Mozambique
- Rachel Row berry (rejoining), Co-ordinator, Community Projects, South Africa
- Patience Matsebula, Assistant manager, Lidwala Backpacker Lodge , Swaziland
We said farewell to Kim Collins as Marine project co-ordinator in Mozambique and Adrian Davies after a short spell as whaleshark project co-ordinator. We also said farewell to Kholiwe as cleaner. Jodi Salmond joined in November as Turtle Researcher and Themba Khumalo joined in August as Assistant Lodge Manager both in a short term capacity.
MARKETING
This year we made the transition from parting with our main agent and having a very uncertain future to now having 9 agents abroad marketing our experiences. It also marks the milestone of our 500 th volunteer joining the program. This year we had more volunteers (186 in total), more tour participants (197 in total) and more lodge guests than any prior year. We joined the directory gapyear.com and started a google adwords campaign.
VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
Orphan Care , Swaziland - We facilitated donation of around R200,000 to Lobamba NCP. Started working with Mlindazwe NCP and Bomake. Managed sponsorships for nearly 60 orphaned and vulnerable children to attend school. Started working with Cheasure Homes.
Sports Development, Swaziland - Started this volunteer project. Started working with the Olympafrica centre & organised a number of tournaments. Managed donations of R8,000 from Boost and R23,000 from past volunteer Joseph Parslow.
Build a Future, Swaziland - Started this volunteer project. Started working with Mhlangatane Youth Group and Lobamba and Mlindazwe communities. Did needs assessments and built 4 houses for needy families.
Savanna Conservation, Swaziland - Managed a donation of R55,000 for Marabou research and carried out the first regular monitoring of marabou chicks, first adult Marabou capture and first Marabou radio tracking study. Introduced a wildlife training and snake handling training aspect to the project. Started the black mamba radio tracking study and started working with Nisela Safaris.
Teaching, Cape Town - Started this volunteer project. Started working with the Sentinel school.
Child Care, Cape Town - Started this volunteer project. Started working with the Little Lambs and Siyazama Creches. Started working with the Immizamo Yethu Community centre.
Whaleshark Conservation, Mozambique - Started this volunteer project. Started working with Tofo Scuba and the marine turtle working group of Mozambique . Identified 19 whalesharks of which 9 are new individuals never seen before. Carried out the first monitoring of turtle nesting in Tofo with 2 nests discovered so far. Started the first monitoring of humpbacked whales in Tofo.
TOURS
The new Quantum has made our Tours far more comfortable and reliable. Ran our biggest tour ever, requiring two combis to transport everyone (18 people). We ran more tours than ever before (22 in total) and had more tour participants than ever before (197 in total).
Kruger Big Game - Saw the first lion kill from start to end (an impala).
LIDWALA BACKPACKER LODGE
The lodge was expanded with 3 safari tents on decks to include capacity for another 12 occupants. It had it's highest number of occupants at any one time (36 people in July!) and highest average occupancy levels. The lodge started offering reliable internet access, meals, laundry and booking services and these have become important revenue sources.
FOUNDATION
The All Out Africa Foundation has received and successfully managed the following donations for this year:
- R256,000 from the European Union for year 2 of the Ecorat research project
- R82,800 from past volunteers and friends of All Out for various specific community projects , this includes support for 60 orphaned or vulnerable children to attend school through our child sponsorship programme.
- R55,000 from the British Ecological Society for the marabou research project.
- R35,000 from Royal Swazi Sugar Corporation for the Bat radio tracking research project.
- R9,700 from past volunteers and friends of All Out for various specific conservation projects .
- R8,000 from Boost for sports development.
In addition to this, the Children's fund and Wildlife fund were started using a portion of the joining fees for All Out Volunteers. The Children's Fund spent R5,500 on community projects and the balance of invested funds is currently R15,200. The Wildlife Fund spent R8,200 on wildlife projects and the balance of invested funds is currently R24,000.
RESEARCH UNIT
The All Out Africa Research Unit has published 5 papers in scientific journals this year on raptors, marabous and bats, bringing the total to 11 to date and making a significant contribution to understanding the ecology of these important species.
CONCLUSION
2008 has been a challenging but rewarding year for All Out Africa. 2009 will bring a number of new challenges including further growth, evading the impact of global economic turmoil and maintaining focus on improving our operations to meet the needs of people and wildlife. Certainly we will need to be committed and creative to further the achievement of our mission :
"To engage people from around the world in the research and action necessary for a sustainable Africa ." |
