SUSTAINABILITY

A vital pillar of our mission in Africa is the sustainable upliftment of communities surrounding the reserves that VETPAW supports. Our team continues to create sustainability projects for the families living in nearby villages; having implemented successful projects of this nature since 2019, we continue to do so throughout 2021. These initiatives provide a reliable income for the local population and add another layer of protection for the wildlife we protect. Through efforts akin to this, the community members have learned that endangered wildlife are far more valuable to them alive..

Crochet Initiative

When we approached the community with the idea of crocheting, they were ecstatic but, none of the ladies knew how to crochet. We needed someone to guide and teach these ladies. Luckily Evelyn Ramela came along! Evelyn is a 73-year-old retired teacher and grandmother who has a deep and abiding love for wildlife and a passion for teaching. Evelyn has served as a community mentor and the creative force for this project initiative. She spent 3 days patiently teaching every lady how to crochet, which is also a valuable skill that can also be used for clothing and other necessities. Now, these women have achieved crochet mastery and have lovingly expressed it through these beautiful animals. Initially, they crocheted rhinos and then subsequently crocheting elephants. But then, Evelyn surprised us all when she presented the idea and made Christmas Rhino’s to raise funds to help support the community during Covid-19. Not one of these efforts has been made possible without your support and, now we are excited to share their first crochet project of 2021; The crochet Giraffes!