Kavango Wilderness Project

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Kavango Wilderness Project

In addition, the KWP is the implementing partner for the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project (NGOWP) in Namibia.

The newly formed Kavango Wilderness Project (KWP) (a Non-Profit Association Incorporated under Section 21) is part of the Wild Bird Trust (WBT) family of organisations which runs conservation projects in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Angola through the presence of local operating entities. The aim of the KWP is to monitor the State of the Kavango River and to work closely with stakeholders t

o develop and implement research, threat mitigation or rehabilitation projects in response to that state.

23/04/2026

We spent last Saturday with the Grade 7s from Kamutjonga Secondary School, continuing our Conservation Education sessions.

The morning moved through mammals and reptiles before focusing on crocodiles, one of the key species linked to human wildlife conflict in the area. Games and discussion shaped the session, followed by a visit to the Kamutjonga Inland Fisheries Institute, where Dr Jacobs spoke about the Institute’s work. Learners created crocodile artworks and built playdough models, exploring how their anatomy allows them to remain almost undetected in water.

We ended with a skit and a tug of war between “people” and “crocodiles”. Unplanned, crocodiles won more rounds. It’s a simple way to reinforce an important point: understanding behaviour and limiting contact is key to staying safe.

20/04/2026

Our Conservation Education teaching assistants are taking part in small-group computer literacy sessions as part of their ongoing training.

These are practical skills they’ll need as they move towards running their own classrooms. As their confidence grows, they’ll be able to create their own teaching materials, from simple presentations to resources that support how they teach.

16/04/2026

Two familiar faces have stepped into new roles on the Kavango team.

Maria Makena Mwakaghuyi and Athanasius Tukuyedhekere Muruti join us as General Assistants, supporting conservation education, community engagement, and river monitoring. Both are from Kamutjonga village.

Last year, they worked with us on the Kavango Transect, captaining wato. Maria was the first female captain to complete the full transect.
Welcome to the team!

07/04/2026

Our learners explored the world of macroinvertebrates, the small animals that live in and around our water systems. 🐛💧

From insect larvae to water beetles, these species play an important role in river ecosystems by breaking down organic matter and forming part of the food chain.

They also tell us about the health of the river. Some macroinvertebrates can only survive in clean water, while others can tolerate pollution. By learning to identify them, learners were introduced to how scientists use these species as indicators of water quality.

It was a hands-on lesson that built practical understanding of how river health is measured and why it matters.

01/04/2026

Yesterday, our classroom welcomed a very special little visitor, a praying mantis. 🌿
The learners watched closely as it moved slowly, taking in its large eyes and folded front legs. Praying mantises play an important role in the ecosystem. They are natural predators that help regulate insect populations by feeding on species that might otherwise become too abundant.

Moments like this give learners the chance to observe and understand the role different species play in maintaining balance in the environment.

26/03/2026

Last year, the Kavango Wilderness Project’s Conservation Education Programme had one Teaching Assistant. This year, there are five. Donatus Nangana Divekwa, our first assistant, has stepped into a leadership role, guiding one of the new assistants while teaching two of his own classes. Joining him are George Kassoma, Justice Tulipamwe, Stephanie Kandondo and Sylvia Dikuwa.

In 2025, we began with one pilot school and 40 Grade 7 learners. This year, we are working with four schools in and around Divundu, reaching nearly 250 learners.

Together, the team are making conservation education more practical, engaging and accessible. Each assistant is trained to build confidence, develop knowledge and gradually take on leading lessons themselves.

22/03/2026

From the Cubango to the Kavango to the Okavango. The river flows from the Angolan highlands through Namibia into Botswana, where it spreads into the Okavango Delta. One river system connects us all.

Along its course, this river sustains people, wildlife, and ecosystems across the Cubango–Okavango Basin. What happens upstream shapes what happens downstream.

We are all river cousins. When we protect the basin together, we protect water, livelihoods, and the future of every community it connects.

📷 1: Chris Boyes, 2: Rainer von Brandis, 3: Thalefang Charles

Nkashi BW Kavango Wilderness Project Lisima

19/03/2026

Are you passionate about film, community dialogue, and environmental justice? Applications are open for the 2026 Seeds of Cinema Programme. 🎬

Sunshine Cinema is looking for young leaders to become Film Impact Facilitators, using powerful African films to spark conversation and inspire change in their communities. Through Sunshine Cinema’s solar-powered mobile cinema model, participants will learn to host community screenings and facilitate dialogue on climate change, conservation, and social justice.

The programme runs across the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP), in collaboration with the National Geographic Society and Disney Africa.

The programme runs from 1 April 2026 to 1 March 2027, includes training and a basic monthly stipend, offers the opportunity to work in the KAZA TFCA and Kgalagadi TFCA regions, and includes a six-month online course with UCT’s Centre for Film and Media Studies.

Important ⚠️
This is not a film production course. It is a film impact facilitation programme for young people who want to use cinema as a tool for education, community engagement, and social change.

Who can apply?
📌 Ages 21–34
📌 Living in rural or peri-urban areas of the KAZA or Kgalagadi TFCA regions (proof of address required)
📌 Not currently in full-time employment or study
📌 Passionate about media, conservation, activism, and social justice

Become part of a movement using cinema to inspire change across Southern Africa.

🗓 Applications close: 25 March 2026 at 17:00

Apply here: https://airtable.com/app1GTdJkGL1V.../pag1efLjA8g2yW5E4/form
Learn more here: https://sunshinecinema.org/seeds-of-cinema/

13/03/2026

The Grade 7 learners in our Conservation Education programme at Kanarombwe School recently welcomed the Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation to one of our lessons.

We will be collaborating with this dedicated organisation, which works to protect Africa’s most trafficked mammal, the pangolin, through research, rescue, rehabilitation, rewilding, and community outreach in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.

The classroom was filled with excitement as learners took part in an interactive session about pangolins, how they are tracked in the wild, and pledged to protect them. Learners discovered how these shy, scale-covered mammals play a vital role as ecosystem engineers, and why protecting them protects entire ecosystems.

10/03/2026

With every lesson, we make time to meet one of the fascinating species found in our area. This time, we met a dung beetle.

Our Grade 7 Conservation Education learners gathered outdoors to observe the beetle up close, looking at its legs, body shape, and the dung ball it was rolling across the ground. They created their first nature sketches, an exercise that encourages careful observation and helps them notice details. We also explored the important role dung beetles play in the ecosystem. By burying dung, they recycle nutrients into the soil, improve soil health, reduce flies and parasites, and help seeds grow.

Through simple outdoor lessons like this, learners can appreciate that even the smallest creatures play an important role in nature.

27/02/2026

Last Saturday, we launched our first clean-up campaign of 2026 in the Divundu area.
Across four stations near participating schools, 215 learners joined local partners and community members to remove visible waste and promote improved waste practices. By the end of the day, 172 bags of refuse had been collected.

The campaign was supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water & Land Reform (KIFI staff), Divava Okavango (O&L Leisure), Shametu River Lodge, Ngepi Camp, and community members. The lodges provided essential logistical and financial support, helping ensure the smooth implementation of the day’s activities.

This initiative forms part of our ongoing conservation education programme and is a powerful reminder that environmental conservation thrives through partnership, education, and shared responsibility.

Address

74 Kelkiewyn Street
Windhoek
10005

Website

http://www.kavango.org.na/

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