Ndumo Game Reserve and its Unique Environmental Education Programme Uplifting the Community

The Ndumo Community Project has been an ongoing project for over two decades. It started as part of the Tshwane University of Technology's mission and vision to embrace community engagement in 1998. Ndumo is a poverty-stricken community situated in the southern part of Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal. This area falls under the uMkhanyakude District Municipality and was known as the ‘forgotten community’. People residing in Ndumo live well below the breadline and have limited access to education and employment. The socio-economic challenges that face the Ndumo village have a direct impact on the adjacent protected area, Ndumo Game Reserve, and the surrounding community. Socio-economic factors led to environmental degradation, i.e. deforestation, poaching and pollution of the local rivers and waste management became an issue due to a lack of services. The aim of this initiative is to help people of all ages to discover the true value of Ndumo’s unique biodiversity and their place within it through an environmental education programme. Through this unique intervention, the programme has nurtured future conservation champions to become curious, passionate and empowered to make decisions and to act to improve the environment. Since the start of the Ndumo Community Project in 1998, various research contributions were made, including studies on biodiversity, ecotourism, environmental education and psycho-sociology. Partnerships were established with governmental as well as non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and private organizations. It all culminated in deeper cultural understanding and empowerment through participation in research and community projects. Trust was established, the community engaged in projects and it seemed that the environmental education programmes were effective in creating and improving awareness of issues in the Ndumo community.