Yesterday the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) handed over to State House a third batch of postcards (160 postcards) written by learners from the Zambezi and Khomas Regions, addressed to H.E. Hage Geingob and First Lady Monica Geingos.
The LAC was accompanied by the two main actors of the film “Baxu and the Giants”, Camilla Jo-Ann Daries (11 years, A.I Steenkamp Primary) and Wafeeq /Narimab (16 years, Windhoek High School). “Baxu and the Giants”, a LAC commissioned film, tells the story of a young girl tackling Rhino poaching in the North West of Namibia.
The postcards and the film “Baxu and the Giants” are part of a bigger project to combat wildlife crime in Namibia. As part of the project, the LAC 1) collected wildlife crime cases from all courts across the country for research purposes and policy advice, 2) trained magistrates and prosecutors on wildlife crime, and 3) conducted community awareness raising in poaching hotspots, here: schools in Zambezi region.
In total the LAC engaged with ten different schools in the Zambezi Region in 2019 and 2020 over a period of 3 days each, teaching 500 learners about environmental and wildlife protection and wildlife protection laws. The activities included also screening of the film “Baxu and the Giants”, postcard writings, tree planting and mural paintings. The first and second batch of postcards were delivered to State House late 2019.
The LAC would like to thank the GIZ for the project funding, and the Ministry of Education, especially Regional Education Director Zambezi, Joy Mamili, and UNAM Katima Mulilo Campus for their support and continuous engagement.
Speaking about the project, the LAC’s director Toni Hancox stated: “We are very delighted that H.E. the President encourages us to continue with our project. Our long term objectives in the area of wildlife protection are manifold. First and foremost we need to combat and reduce wildlife crime. Our natural resources must be used sustainably by the people, today and in future.
More specific on the school engagement project, we hope to have wildlife management/protection included in the curriculum, across all subjects. And we hope, that all schools across Namibia will have functioning eco/wildlife clubs, which can educate and engage the wider community as well, so that all can benefit from our natural resources sustainably.”