Introduction

In the framework of promoting conservation of national parks and wildlife reserves through empowerment and educational support of children that live in the borderlines of protected areas, CCP has made a step of establishing schools in the remote areas of Uganda and Rwanda targeting the vulnerable children that live in the borderlines of protected areas. This is intended to strengthen and promote education and in the long run enhance conservation of these vital resources. CCP believes that conserving of the national parks and wildlife reserves is extremely important, and that the power of education can make a big difference to reduce the overdependence of communities on the national parks and wildlife reserves. The right approach is to conserve wildlife while changing the lives of the vulnerable children around these resources through education support. We are therefore doing this in line with our slogan “Mentor a child to protect the threatened National parks and Wildlife reserves”.

CCP has started with establishing Sembalule Model Junior School in Sembabule District, Central Uganda. With a conservation mind, the desire to establish a school in Sembabule is inspired by the founder of Children Conservationists Programme- CCP Foundation (Vincent) who was born, grew and studied in this village amidst very difficult conditions (having no parents, walking long distances to reach school, lack of school fees and basic requirements for school like books, etc). Unfortunately, not much has changed in this community. Hence a need to start a school to improve the education levels of the community. CCP has formed the Education Overseers team to support in starting the school and is calling upon anyone with a passion in transforming education in the rural areas to join this team.

Roles of Education Overseers

• Monitor the start-off fundraising initiatives for the establishment of the school
• Outsource for potential donors to support the school management
• Advise CCP management on strategies to improve education quality of the school.
• Suggest possible partnerships with: 1) Education institutions e.g., primary schools, secondary, tertiary institutions
  2) Individuals, or associations wishing to support this program
  3) Companies wishing to support this program.
  All this is in support of CCP’s mission of mentoring the next generations to conserve our national parks and wildlife Reserves for present and future generations.