Archive for the ‘What We Do’ Category
Last week I visited Franck & Roxane at J.A.C.K. - Jeunes Animaux Confisques du Katanga, a project that provides refuge to orphan baby chimps that have been legally confiscated by the Congolese authorities. In DR Congo the law clearly states you cannot buy a chimp, sell a chimp, traffic a chimp or keep a chimp in captivity. So when these chimps are confiscated, they need to be looked after. And that is where Franck & Roxane come in.
Roxane & I at the refuge center.
Franck & Chita, the oldest male chimp of the 13 at the refuge center. JACK started in April 2006 - and became a fully fledged NGO in October 2006.
Each morning Franck & Roxane make up the milk at their home for the 13 chimps and take it to the refuge centre which sits in a lush and tranquil corner of Lubumbashi Zoo.
Surrogate mothers Angeline and Arta help out - it really is each chimp for him/herself!
The project has not been going long, but has already made a substantial impact. Roxane was actually born in Belgium, and Franck has lived in DRC for 15 years - so their networks to have the maximum impact on the illegal chimp trade is significant. The political effort of their work is not to be underestimated.
Not all the chimps want to hug Roxane!
But most of them do.
Don’t buy me! / Don’t eat me! / Don’t sell me! / Respect me!
The chimps push and shove to get first the milk, then the bread, then the fruit, and then the yogurt and honey. Franck & Roxane feed the chimps with a natural diet, as they would eat in the forest. One of the main problems with chimpanzees in captivity is that they are either malnourished, or simply fed inappropriate foods like sweets that lead to cavities.
I was ecstatic to give Chita some milk. I could not resist shooting some video - so here are a couple of clips. Enjoy!
This will be my final post on Manioc Valley - it has been a real treat “meeting” you all. Please support Franck & Roxane - it really is a daily struggle for them, but one they embrace courageously. See you here or on the Gorilla Blog very soon! Samantha
Just to give you a heads up that this week Julie will start blogging from Ruhengeri in Rwanda about teaching art to local kids of all ages to help raise awareness about the plight of the Mountain Gorillas.
Julie and her small team teach the children, who all live in the buffer zone of the park where the gorillas live, about nature, the environment & conservation through art. As you may know Ruhengeri is the stepping stone for the thousands of tourists who flock each year to Africa to visit the Mountain Gorillas.
Just one example of what Julie’s students can produce.
There is plenty more where that came from!
Julie & her dog Ibyiza - I just took this. I have been giving Julie blog training today.
And this is her little icon that will come up next to the posts on the home page. So keep a look out for more about this fascinating project! Samantha
Today the wooden benches have been moved into the new building in Mutsora Primary School. A few shots on the outcome. For those who have not been following the story on this project, you can read more about it here. We take this opportunity to thank Roberta from the European Union who made it all happen.
Assembling the benches
Some previous testing on the street by curious children passing by
And voila! Tomorrow the painting begins
We are currently rehabilitating two primary schools in Mutsora, a project that will be finished by the end of this month. The Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Presentation that owns the land and runs both schools are the same ones responsible for this little orphanage, where they take care of 13 homeless children, and has been running since 1948.
Sister Rosalie downloading one of the boxes from the car
I have been very lucky to bring many extra kilos with me from Argentina, so I would like to thank the following people for the donated toys, shoes and clothes: Alejandra P. Cinthia E. Poty S. Agustina and Millie R. Orlando and Facundo E. And many thanks to Lucien A. from Tam, who has allowed me to board the plane with 90 extra kilos!
Brigitta, one of our most active supporters and commentors from Switzerland, had a birthday in December. And instead of getting presents her friends and family made donations totaling $800, that went toward Gorilla Protection. Thanks Brigitta - to you and your friends and family. Brigitta also sent fantastic photos of the Mapuwa family, who she visited in July 2007. This gorilla family was last seen mid-September, amid all the fighting.
Brigitta & her birthday party.
Brigitta & other half!
Mapuwa family before the fighting broke out again.
Visiting gorillas.
Showing vulnerability.
Hanging out. Samantha
Thank you Ty for your $1,000 donation toward the gorillas - you are officially our youngest donor to date!
Thank you Linda & her team at Gearing Up 4 Gorillas - www.g4g.co.uk - for all their support and dedication to the Rangers who work to protect Virunga National Park and the Mountain Gorillas.
G4G, based in the UK, has supported the Rangers for almost 2 years, channeling much of their financial support through WildlifeDirect and Frankfurt Zoological Society. G4G has been a persistent voice of encouragement from the beginning, and continues to provide emergency back up in desperate times. Fundraising efforts are varied and often simply mad - from jumping out of airplanes, to shaving off one’s hair - but all the money goes in its entirety to the Rangers.
Thank you from the Rangers & WildlifeDirect.
If you want to read more about G4G click on the link below:
It has been a good surprise to see the buildings almost ready. The rehabilitation of Kengele and Mutsora Primary School are not a dream any more, but the result of progress, hope and hard work.
The old and the new buildings, standing side by side.
Mutsora Primary School
Kengele Primary School As scheduled, Safari (on the right) from Soderu is confident that both buildings will be ready by the 25th of January.
No more learning in classrooms like this, with no walls, as from next month……
Vanessa at Happy Hollow Zoo in California has just told me that $4,000 has been raised for the Congo Rangers from an Electronic Waste Collection Day held recently. Obviously living in DR Congo you don’t really think about this kind of waste - so when I explain it to the Rangers they are a little bemused. People here still don’t have anything electronic - apart from phones of course - so the mere thought of actual electronic waste is alien. We just all stood around shaking our heads together.
Thank you Vanessa and all of you at Happy Hollow Zoo for your continued support, encouragement and friendship. Happy Hollow Zoo already supports Elie, the Commander of the Advance Force. Vanessa was actually one of our very first supporters way back in January!
Here is Vanessa’s email: “We held an Electronic Waste collection Day for you all on October 20th. This is a fairly new type of event, even in California! Folks had the chance to come and drop off their unwanted electronic waste such as; computers, monitors, televisions, microwaves, stereos, fax machines, and cables and cords. We collected 32,811 lbs. of electronic waste! 547 CRT’s (monitors and TV’s, the most toxic items), had 515 cars and raised $3932 for you all - which we will round up to $4000.
I have included photos so you can get an idea of the type of event it was. It was a great deal of fun and more then once you could hear us saying, “Now that’s a BIG TV!” Please give my best to everyone and again know that we are here thinking of you all and all that you do!”
Remember I blogged on 26th November requesting a laptop for Godefroid Wambale, a Ranger here in DR Congo. He also did a video post on his blog about this request. Well - it looks like he is going to get a laptop, and all thanks to Debbie in the US! Here is an extract of her email earlier this week: Hi Samantha,
I have just started two non profits as well as I am trying to start up a profit business, so anything easier helps. I just wanted you to know that I think Godefroid is an incredible person and like I said earlier, we have been talking via email and I love reading his letters. I am so happy that I could help him out and also told him to come visit when ever he wants. He can stay with my family and we will take care of him and show him around. He has also told me he will show me his mountain and beautiful wildlife if I can ever make it to visit my Gorillas. I told him It is my dream to come to Africa and if I do I will take him up on it. I wanted to thank you for helping to bring this new and wonderful friend into my life. I appreciate all that you and the brave rangers do to help our planet. Lord knows we need it. I have also started publicizing the fact that this horrible violence you have now in DR Congo and surrounding countries needs to be addressed more aggressively ( I dont know if you read this but BBC had an article about an 11 month old baby, the victim of a rape has just recently died. 11 MONTHS OLD how horrible) and have looked into some fund raising ideas for Godefroid and for Innocent and Diddy’s men. I plan on starting a campaign page for both causes when I can figure out a really good way to make some money for them. Well I’m glad to here your trip went OK, I hope Innocent and Diddy fare well on their trip to Nariobi as well. I will see which is the best way to send the Laptop and on Friday (my husband gets paid on Thursday) I will send it straight away. I have already informed him of this expense and told him it can be my Christmas present from him so no worries about the cost. I am just grateful this will all work out and my new friend will have the laptop he so desperately needs. Thanks again,
Thank you so very much Debbie, and to your husband who is foregoing his Xmas present. This is absolutely fantastic. I am sure I am not the only one stunned by your wonderful generosity. All we have to do now is figure out the shipping. I will then bring it to Godefroid in January - and he will be independently blogging! THANK YOU. Samantha
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