Operation Pachamama - June 2020 Donor Report

Thanks to your generous support, and in spite of the devastating impact of the covid-19 pandemic, Operation Pachamama has had a busy and productive four months since our last report. The highlights include:

The completion of our website, opmama.org. Included in the features are a donate button that allows recurring, monthly donations, a blog, a three-part story about an elephant herd in time of draught, other articles, etc. Please check it out and let us know what you think. A big thank you to Tusker Club member Jenny for constructing the site.

In response to a specific request, we funded the remodeling of a building on a game reserve in South Africa. This newly refurbished and constructed building will house the reserve’s anti-poaching rangers, isolating them from the tourism side of the reserve and putting them in the middle of the animals on a 24/7 basis.

We had six more anti-poaching rangers funded by Operation Pachamama graduate from the ranger program in April, just as the lock down struck South Africa. It was fortunate these students were able to complete their courses and obtain their certifications. We are especially pleased to note that two of the six graduates were women.

Unfortunately, the covid-19 lock down made it impossible for these rangers to find employment. There were no tourists to pay the daily conservation fees that are used to fund anti-poaching activities. Thus, no new jobs and, more importantly, a real strain on the animals as the poachers paid no attention to the lock down.

Working with our partners in South Africa, we settled on a plan that helps the rangers find work and protects the animals at the same time. As you no doubt know, we made an Urgent Appeal to you, our donor base, last month. Our hope was to raise enough money to pay the salaries of four of our recent graduates for a full year, placing them where they were needed most.

Thanks to your overwhelming response to our appeal, we have enough money raised and pledged to fund the salaries of all six rangers for the full year. We have already sent the first six month’s amount, roughly $12,000, to our fiduciary at the Tracker Academy who will coordinate the disbursement of the funds.

Two of our rangers will be working at Samara Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape, two will be working at Lapalala Wilderness in the Limpopo Province, one will be working at the Boston Pridelands Nature Reserve, which, though private, is open to the animals from Kruger National Park, and one is going to work at the Tracker Academy to enhance the anti-poaching component of their curriculum. Each location has committed, depending upon how well these young men and women do, to continuing their employment when our year’s funding ceases.

Make no mistake. What we just described is a big deal. Not only are you helping to protect the animals, but your dollars have created real jobs for real people during a tremendously difficult time. Linda and Tom ask that you give yourselves a round of applause. You’ve earned it!

Meanwhile, we continue to grow the Tusker Club. We again urge you to provide us with the names and contact information of anyone you think might be supportive of Operation Pachamama. We’ll do the rest, tactfully of course.

Finally, a brief word on our 2021 Trip to South Africa. It is still on and still full; no one has cancelled. Obviously, we have to wait to see how the pandemic plays out, but our expectation is that 13 Tusker Club members will enjoy a wonderful two-week safari experience in November of next year as a reward for surviving the pandemic. If interested, and on the premise that it’s never too early to plan ahead, let us know if you think you might want to join us for the 2023 Trip.

THANK YOU ALL AND STAY SAFE.