david watkins
January 13th, 2008, 04:49 PM
Hi
I'm supporting some safari guides in Zambia by providing them with binoculars. In order to become a safari guide there is a series of quite difficult and expensive courses over a several year period ( which they have to pay for out of their pay ) which take them to a level of experience to be able to competently guide visitors safely in the national parks and to be able to properly identify all the wildlife encountered.
Needless to say incomes are very low and the guides often have to support extended families so these jobs are important to the families and sometimes to the local community. My experience of the guides is that they are all very committed. They also are excellent ambassadors where for instance villagers have problems with animals on the edge of parks etc. I believe conservation in Africa will be dependant on home grown expertise, foundations laid now will help the future.
Binoculars of course are crucial to their work but also very expensive. A number of people have already donated their old pairs and been contacted directly by the guides who have benefited.
So if you have a good pair of bins gathering dust please do consider passing them on where they'll be much used and much appreciated. They don't have to be in pristine condition as long as they are optically OK. It'll be a generous and much appreciated donation.
Thanks for reading this, I hope you can help
David Watkins
I'm supporting some safari guides in Zambia by providing them with binoculars. In order to become a safari guide there is a series of quite difficult and expensive courses over a several year period ( which they have to pay for out of their pay ) which take them to a level of experience to be able to competently guide visitors safely in the national parks and to be able to properly identify all the wildlife encountered.
Needless to say incomes are very low and the guides often have to support extended families so these jobs are important to the families and sometimes to the local community. My experience of the guides is that they are all very committed. They also are excellent ambassadors where for instance villagers have problems with animals on the edge of parks etc. I believe conservation in Africa will be dependant on home grown expertise, foundations laid now will help the future.
Binoculars of course are crucial to their work but also very expensive. A number of people have already donated their old pairs and been contacted directly by the guides who have benefited.
So if you have a good pair of bins gathering dust please do consider passing them on where they'll be much used and much appreciated. They don't have to be in pristine condition as long as they are optically OK. It'll be a generous and much appreciated donation.
Thanks for reading this, I hope you can help
David Watkins