Round Table Southern Africa recently joined forces with Relate Bracelets and other charitable organisations to raise over R100,000 for the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s (EWT) Carnivore Conservation Programme.
Mpumalanga, South Africa – Barberton 67, a club within the Mpumalanga Area and part of the greater Association of Round Tables of Southern Africa, teamed up with Relate Bracelets, a 100% not-for-profit social enterprise, to create a bespoke bracelet to help raise funds and awareness for the plight of Southern Africa’s dwindling carnivore populations as well as EWT’s efforts to protect them.
Round Table Mpumalanga Area Vice-Chairman, Werner Swanepoel, conceptualised and spearheaded the initiative and says it will help support EWT’s valuable conservation work and the preservation of species for generations to come.
“We’re based in Barberton and have always done a lot of charity work within the area and surrounding communities. The Kruger National Park is on our doorstep, so we also wanted to extend our assistance to a wildlife cause,” said Swanepoel.
Round Table, described as an international, non-political, non-sectarian association for men between the ages of 18 and 40 has over 1,000 members in Southern Africa and has an altruistic interest in aiding local communities through philanthropic campaigns.
“Round Table operates in over 50 countries around the world, so we were able to sell large numbers of bracelets to our international members in Belgium, Germany, Finland and Sweden,” continued Swanepoel.
“Most were purchased by our Tables in Southern Africa, with Round Table White River 64 further driving the initiative and buying 3,000 bracelets to give to participants of the Sabie Tube Race this month. White River 64 members, Gerrie van der Westhuizen and Hannes de Kock were instrumental to the success of the project.”
“Our aim is always to give something back to the community. We want to be responsible citizens and we want to be a voice for the voiceless,” Swanepoel added.
EWT has been dedicated to the preservation of species and habitats across Southern Africa, since its inception in 1973. Among its numerous campaigns, the not-for-profit organisation placed special emphasis on its Carnivore Conservation Programme when it partnered with Round Table.
Tammy Baker, Business Development Manager at EWT said the trust is overjoyed by Round Table’s carnivore bracelet fundraising efforts.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Round Table to raise funds for their community projects and at the same time raise much-needed funding for our Carnivore Conservation Programme,” Baker said.
“Wildlife across the globe is under threat. Locally, carnivores have bore the brunt of poaching, canned hunting and shrinking habitats, particularly the African Wild Dog which calls parts of South Africa home.”
Baker hopes that the partnership with Round Table and its bracelet initiative is just the beginning of a passionate and enduring project that will have a lasting impact on carnivore conservation as well as social upliftment and job creation in South Africa for years to come.
“We’re also very glad to be supporting the incredible work that Relate Trust is doing to create job opportunities for the underprivileged. This is just the beginning of this specific cause bracelet and we look forward to raising much more funds in the future.”
For more information on carnivore conservation in southern Africa, visit www.ewt.org.za and www.relate.org.za.
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