“They have made great strides since 2013 with an approach that is passive but disruptive,” said Craig Spencer, founder of the Mamba group.
The Mambas have been an inspiration to the communities they come from and many community members see the group of fearless women as role models.
At first, it was believed that a group of women protecting wildlife without any ammunition would never be successful, but their passion and determination has proven to save and protect many animals from the deadly snares of poachers in the bush.
Recently, two members of the Mambas had the opportunity to train with EcoTraining at the Pridelands camp at the Pridelands Conservancy in the greater Kruger Park. Training that has now qualified them as Field Guides.
EcoTraining is the pioneer and leader in safari guide and wildlife training in Africa.
The organisation is widely recognised by the safari industry for its credibility and standard of excellence in nature guide training. All courses are run directly from EcoTraining’s unfenced bush camps in prime wilderness areas across South Africa, Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
To date, EcoTraining has trained over 13,000 people from 33 different countries around the world.
For Nkatego Mzimba and Bongani Masingi, their training with EcoTraining has been eye opening and they hope to take their newly gained knowledge back to their hometowns, so that others can benefit from what they have learnt at camp.
“At home when we see a snake, we used to kill it. I am learning the importance of snakes at home and that we must not kill them. We should rather make a plan and take it out, because if we keep on killing snakes we will have a problem with rats at home,” said Nkatego Mzimba.
During a month like Mandela Month, these two women will be setting an example that will impact their communities for generations to come. Their new knowledge will undoubtedly help their communities to understand their surroundings better and help them make more empowered decisions.
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“Checking the snares, patrolling the fence, the knowledge that we have gained has taught us more about the surroundings that we have here. You can never learn too much,” said Bongani Masingi.
“Here we are learning and we’ll make sure that we are teaching the others when they hear these alarm calls that there could be a predator around,” added Mzimba.
To learn more about the different courses EcoTraining has to offer, visit https://www.ecotraining.co.za/. EcoTraining strives to be #CovidClear and follows strict Covid-19 protocols from the moment you climb onto our transfer at the airport until you arrive safely at one of our camps in the African wilderness. Our Covid-19 protocols are also strictly adhered to in camp.
