Dear Friends and Supporters of the College,
It is with great pleasure that the Southern African Wildlife College shares its 2018 Annual Review with you.
The year under review was a very exciting one for us. We celebrated the completion of Phase II of the College’s infrastructure development made possible by the German Government through KfW, the German Development Bank. The new facilities have already enhanced our ability to deliver on our training mandate, especially with our new field ranger training base and our applied learning and responsible resource departments’ new buildings.
In reviewing this mandate, we also revisited our vision, mission and core objectives. In doing so we developed our brand essence encapsulated in our new slogan, ‘training beyond boundaries’. This prompted a much more inclusive approach at all levels of the organisation; something we are very proud to now be carrying forward.
As a centre of specialisation in conservation education, training and skills development this slogan encapsulates our active involvement in developing an inclusive approach to conservation. People, parks, economy are our watchwords as we proactively develop and expand our offerings based on the needs of the industry. Our applied ‘learning by doing’ approach in turn enables us to fully equip future conservation leaders, managers and practitioners with the skills needed to secure our continent’s natural heritage. This includes skills that are vital to counter poaching operations, where we are also testing new techniques and training methodologies.
None of this would have been possible without your valued support over the years. This support has not only impacted the success of the College but has influenced the lives of over 17,000 students who have been trained by the College since its inception in 1996. It has also allowed us to respond with new ideas and practices that could lead to solutions and transform the way in which we conserve.
Further strides being made with our Rural Initiatives for a Sustainable Environment (RISE) unit are also very encouraging, especially since community partnerships are so vital to ensuring our continent and planet’s biodiversity.
We invite you to review the work done during 2018 by accessing the digital version of the Annual Review HERE and trust that you will enjoy reading about our progress.
In the interests of the environment and costs, our Annual Review is one of the few publications we send out in printed format. Should you not require a printed copy, please advise us as such by return mail or by mailing agelletich@sawc.org.za .
Once again our sincerest thanks for enabling us to continue making strides in conservation training and development, which further helps inform best practice. We trust that you will enjoy reading about our progress.
Yours sincerely
Theresa Sowry
Chief Executive Officer
