Roar Africa's Gift Giving Guide

Happy holidays! We know it’s the time of year when you want to pick the perfect gift for your loved ones and colleagues, and a time when you can “do good” while sharing the happiness in this beautiful season. At ROAR AFRICA, we know it’s a great opportunity to give a charitable donation in a loved one’s name or buy a limited-edition photographic print where the proceeds go to conservation – you’ll be giving three times over, as you’ll also be supporting those philanthropic causes, charities and initiatives in Africa that truly need your help.  Through actions large and small, direct cause-related activities and indirectly through travels in Africa, our clients join resources with ours to make a profound and powerful difference and we thank you for that.

Following is a selection of charities that we know personally and support wholeheartedly. Thank you in advance, and thank you for your love and support in this season of giving.

-Deb Calmeyer and the ROAR AFRICA Team

African Parks
Rangers are the foot soldiers, the boots on the ground, and the first and last line of defense in protecting Africa’s wildlife. With the largest ranger force in Africa – 1,000 rangers and growing ­– African Parks is responsible for the law enforcement of 15 parks spanning some 26 million acres. Poaching of elephants and rhinos is down in the parks that are so well managed by African Parks.  Ranger work requires constant training, equipping and outfitting to combat the threats of poaching and other illegal activities. From as little as $25 you can sponsor a water filter to provide clean water while out on patrol, while $50 will sponsor a mosquito net, and $100 will ensure a ranger gets a pair of all terrain boots.Those wishing to spend more can consider donating an advanced medical kit for $250 or two Delorme Satellite tracking devices for $500. Visit https://www.africanparks.org/donate.

The Tikki Hywood Trust
It’s ironic that while Pangolins have been around for 80 million years, it’s taken the comparatively scant 8 million years that humans have been on earth to decimate the population to the brink of extinction. The incredible one-on-one care program initiated by The Tikki Hywood Trust in Zimbabwe to protect the pangolin is near and dear to our heart. Here a group of dedicated male minders are each assigned a rescued pangolin to care for and rehabilitate.  Visit www.tikkihywoodtrust.org if you would like to make a donation to Tikki Hywood Trust, or if you would like to purchase a Pangolin Man limited edition print.

Big Life Foundation
Nick Brandt’s elegant and highly collectable limited-edition photographs are a profound and powerful commentary on conservation. As co-founder of Big Life Foundation, 50% of proceeds from the sale of any photographs go towards protecting and sustaining the Amboseli, one of the most important and famous ecosystems in Africa, and home to the greatest elephant population in East Africa.  Established in 2010, Big Life is centered on the coordination of cross-border, anti-poaching operations and employs hundreds of local Maasai rangers—with more than 30 permanent outposts and tent-based field units. Visit https://biglife.org/donate/other-ways-to-give.

Imibala Trust
Did you know there’s a direct correlation between the self-esteem that comes with a school uniform and attendance in class? Sponsor an underprivileged child’s school uniform for a year with the Imibala Trust, a non-profit organization that provides 1,600 children with school uniforms in the Western Cape.  Just $120 a year will ensure that a child receives a full school tracksuit, a pair of leather school shoes, a sweater, a rain jacket, socks, underwear, a t-shirt and a school bag with basic stationery. In return, you will receive regular updates on the child whose uniform you sponsored and if they’re old enough, a hand-written thank you note too! Visit http://www.imibala.com/imibala-trust/sponsor-a-child/.

South African Tracker Academy
The thrill and enjoyment of your safari would not be possible without these great men and women. Not only are they ensuring your safety but they are the essence of your experience in the bush. The privilege of sponsoring a student in the ancient art of tracking (considered by many to be the origins of science) will ensure that this traditional skill and knowledge is not lost.

Thanks to the South African College of Tourism Tracker Academy, a not-for-profit organization and the first accredited tracker training program of its kind, a new generation of naturalists and future custodians of Africa’s wilderness areas are in training. They study a rigorous curriculum that covers anti-poaching, eco-tourism, data collection, field research and conservation. A year’s tuition is $7,100. Each graduate creates a domino effect, and their knowledge and work changes African lives, as well as visitors to Africa. You can also make a difference, with a donation of any size, so please visit http://www.trackeracademy.co.za/.

SA College of Tourism
With one in twenty people in South Africa relying on tourism for their livelihood, the advancement of hospitality skills is a critical goal for the country and the health of the eco-system of our continent. We like to think of it as an investment in your future travel plans when you adopt-a-student.

An annual donation of $5,800 will cover the student’s travel, tuition and accommodation, meals, training materials, equipment, textbooks, uniforms and industry-related field trips throughout the year-long program. Any size donation is helpful, and you can be assured that it will equip unemployed young women from disadvantaged and economically deprived circumstances with the knowledge and skills needed to enter the tourism industry of southern Africa. https://www.peaceparks.org/how/sa-college-for-tourism/.

Uthando Tours
If your  loved-one is planning a trip to Cape Town, you can give them an authentic introduction to the city with a philanthropic travel and cultural tour by Uthando. With insights into South African history as well as the socio-economic and cultural issues confronting the country today, the tour encompasses some of the city’s most successful projects that address these concerns, including: Abalimi Bezekhaya, a micro-farming association that sells top-quality, organic vegetables to the public every week; Home in the Hood, an Art and Education Center that provides literacy and performing arts programs for children affected by extreme poverty; and the Betterchoice Gumboots Dance Youth Project, where children are taught gumboot and traditional dance styles in a safe after-school homework club environment. Visit https://www.uthandosa.org/donate/.

Ocean Sole – Flip the Flop
This truly incredible organization has turned the pollution of flip flops in our oceans into fantastical art and functional products. Since 2005, it has cleaned and reused more than 1,000 tons of flip flops that washed up on Kenya’s beaches, providing a steady income for 150 low-income Kenyans and contributing over 10% of their revenue to marine conservation programs in the area. Each and every one of their products is a handcrafted, colorful masterpiece made of compressed flip-flops that are carved into art depicting sea creatures, safari animals, and world animals. Visit https://oceansole.com/.

Rosie’s Kitchen
Rosie’s Kitchen, a delicious, healthy soup kitchen in Cape Town’s Khayelitsha, is success story born out of a profound spirit and serving a real need in the community. They serve 350 people a day, primarily children. Rosie’s Kitchen began in 1989 when Catholic nuns who used to make weekly deliveries to the township feared for their safety due to rioting. Rosie, who had come to Cape Town from the eastern Cape with her two young children, decided to take it over.

For the past twenty years, Rosie has worked from 5am to 5pm, producing as many as 500 meals a day for people in need. Thanks to help of several ROAR AFRICA guests and the Tourism Community Development Trust, today Rosie is set up in a solid structure rather than a “wendy house,” with a working kitchen, but she still relies on donations for fresh produce and pantry staples. If you’d like to contribute please email us at welcome@roarafrica.com.

Jorvan Community Outreach
This phenomenal student center in Cape Town is a safe haven for disadvantaged school students who have proven merit potential but are at risk of not completing school or university due to dire home conditions. Jorvan’s school-run program, Dare To Stand Out, only accepts children from single mother homes and those whose living conditions are desperate. With numerous students living without electricity in cramped, overcrowded township shacks, Jorvan works to provide the home life the students crave and need to succeed at school. They rely completely on donations. Visit http://www.jorvanoutreach.com/.