Zambia - CWET

Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust (CWET)

...give communities hope and wildlife a chance...

The Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust (CWET) works around the species-rich South Luangwa National Park in eastern Zambia.

Future for Elephants supports the "Nature Night Camping Trips" for children and adolescents in the educational project. Thanks to our donors!

The ever faster growing settlements on the edge of the national park cause a rapid increase in poaching, deforestation, pollution, overfishing, destruction by brush fire and human / animal conflicts.

CWET follows the vision that a harmonious coexistence of humans and wild animals is possible. Children and adolescents learn to understand why wild animals should be valued and protected. They grow up to the next generation, who have to take responsibility for the nature on which we all depend.

The non-profit organization does a great job with educational programs for local schoolchildren in nature, animal, environmental and species conservation. The program is comprehensive, dynamic, innovative and, above all, it is fun! In the educational center, built with a lot of passion and dedication, children can get to know the value of their natural surroundings in an untouched environment.

The center offers interactive and contemporary learning facilities that focus on wildlife, the environment and nature conservation, and runs an all-day, incentive-based education program for Conservation Club members from seven local schools. Another 31 conservation clubs from 18 surrounding schools take part in the extensive nature conservation education program.

Furthermore, general school improvement projects (infrastructure, resources, equipment, etc.) are carried out. A student sponsorship program also offers scholarships for outstanding students. This program also motivated Thandiwe Mweetwa. She became the “National Geographic Emerging Explorer” in 2016 and now heads the Education Program of the Zambian Carnivore Program and is one of the trustees of the CWET.

Students can participate in a range of activities, such as field trips to South Luangwa National Park, environmental campaigns, the Chipembele Ranger program, nature night camping trips, computer classes, and more.

In addition to its work with the school classes at Mfuwe, the Chipembele Trust is also active as a rehabilitation center and sanctuary for animal orphans such as baby elephants, whose mothers were shot by poachers, traumatized vervet monkeys and young antelopes found by villagers. Here attempts are made to enable these animals to survive and return to the wild.