The coronavirus crisis drags along. Life to me
feels as if I had stepped into old chewing gum on the pavement. You know that
feeling, of not wanting that chewing gum there but somehow not being able to
get rid of it.
Most of us cannot travel right now. Ever since 1998
I travel to South Africa once a year, there might be one year in between when I
did not go. I love the wide-open sky, the endless and often lonesome roads, the
bush, the wildlife, drinking Rooibos tea at farmstalls. I love the smell of the
ocean and beach walks. I love the strong wind in Cape Town, as well as the
restaurant scene, the design, the atmosphere, and my little friends, the
penguins.
There are countries were quarantine measures are
starting to be relaxed, but only after numbers of new coronavirus infections
are low enough to not overburden the health system. Times are uncertain. The
virus is still too new to understand everything. Teams of epidemiologists and
virologists research tirelessly to get us as fast as possible out of this
situation, or at least to come up with suggestions how to adapt life to the situation
so that we can move on. Politicians who cannot foresee the future, even if they
would love to, get all the blame. The situation is gloomy for everyone and
terrifying. We live in exciting times. Sharing stories and knowing that no one
of us is alone in this, helps.
We cannot go to South Africa right now, but we can
ask the locals about their country. Annemi Zaaiman lives with her family of
four in the Nelspruit area, the gateway to the Kruger National Park. She works
at EcoTraining.
EcoTraining - preserving wildlife and serving local
communities through environmental education
EcoTraining, founded in 1993, is specialised in
safari guide- and wildlife training. They believe in preserving wildlife and
serving local communities through environmental education. Their bush camps are
located across four African countries, in South Africa, Kenya, Botswana and
Zimbabwe. They offer over 12 courses, from five-day nature programmes to
one-year professional accredited courses. All conducted in remote wilderness
areas. One wildlife training facility is even situated inside the Kruger
National Park. International university students from the US and the UK, aiming
for a career in conservation, train at their facilities. So far, they trained
over 11,000-course participants and professional field guides from 33 countries.
There are four different training camps in South
Africa. The Makuleke Concession is the wildest and most remote part of the
Kruger National Park and not accessible to tourists. It is situated between the
Limpopo and the Luvuvhu Rivers in the northern section of the Park. Karongwe
Camp is on the banks of the Karongwe River in the Karongwe Game Reserve, to the
south-west of the Kruger National Park. The Selati camp is situated on the banks
of the Selati River, in the Selati Game Reserve, to the west of the Kruger
National Park. Pridelands Conservancy in the Limpopo Province of South Africa,
north of the Hoedspruit Airforce base. In September 2017, it became part of the
Kruger National Park.
The Vic Falls camp in Zimbabwe is on the Masuie
River, a tributary of the great Zambezi River in the Stanley & Livingstone
Private Game Reserve.
The Mashatu Reserve in Botswana is part of the
Northern Tuli Game Reserve. It is located at the confluence of the Limpopo and
the Shashe Rivers, in the easternmost corner of the country.
There are two camps in Kenya, the Borana Conservancy,
and the Mara Training centre. The Borana camp lies at the foot of Mount Kenya,
just 26 kilometres from the equator. It is right within the vast area of the
Ewaso ecosystem on the Laikipia Plateau. The Borana Conservancy is a non-profit
conservation organisation dedicated to the sustainable conservation of critical
habitat and wildlife. It has received the Ecotourism Kenya Award for best
conservancy. The Mara Training centre is located on the banks of the Mara River
and part of the Mara Serengeti ecosystem.
I check in with Annemi Zaaiman to hear from her
about the situation in South Africa. She tells me about the current crisis and
its challenges and opportunities for EcoTraining.
 |
| Annemi Zaaiman from EcoTraining |
Annemi tells me “The hard lockdown was implemented
on 26 March 2020 for three weeks. After two weeks, the president announced that
the lockdown will be extended for another two weeks accounting to 35 days of
lockdown. We were not allowed to go anywhere except for essential trips to the
shops, doctors etc. Most businesses were closed. We were instructed to stay at
home for the duration of the lockdown. Permits were required to travel to
essential jobs or other towns, and we are not allowed to travel between
provinces. Since 1 May 2020, lockdown moved to level 4. They are working on a
phased-out approach to start reopening the economy, yet new restrictions were
put in place to monitor citizens. We are unsure as to how long we will be
placed on lockdown level 4.
Level 4 means that certain sectors of the economy
can open, but others still remain at home. Schools and churches are still
closed. We are now allowed to exercise between 6 am and 9 am in the mornings.
We are not allowed to leave our homes from 8 pm to 5 am. No interprovincial
travel is allowed. No alcohol or cigarettes may be sold to name a few. Wearing
of facemasks when outside is mandatory.”
Update, according to the official Twitter page of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa "South Africa will be placed on alert level 3 from 1st June 2020. Public gatherings and other high-risk activities, especially those that involve close contact between large numbers of people, remain prohibited to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. ... All borders of the republic remain closed except for the transportation of goods and repatriation of citizens."
Update, according to the official Twitter page of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa "South Africa will be placed on alert level 3 from 1st June 2020. Public gatherings and other high-risk activities, especially those that involve close contact between large numbers of people, remain prohibited to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. ... All borders of the republic remain closed except for the transportation of goods and repatriation of citizens."
Annemi tells me that “Both my husband and I are
fortunate enough to work from home. We do however have two toddlers that
require a lot of attention. It becomes difficult to juggle giving your children
the attention they deserve, be productive at work and maintain a household at
the same time. I was in favour of the first few weeks of lockdown, but it
becomes harder the longer we remain in lockdown. We have no clear picture as to
how long lockdown will be in place. The longer lockdown is in place, the worse
the effect will be on the companies we work for and the more frustrated our
kids will become.”
No one can foresee the future, everything is
possible, people are stressed and Annemi believes “It helps to remain positive.
To see a light at the end of the tunnel. To look at different solutions to
improve our current situation.” She explains that the same is of importance for
EcoTraining, where all employees support each other “EcoTraining, is dedicated to
its mission and their staff. Its mission is to provide inspirational and
immersive learning experiences for professional safari guides and guardians of
nature. They make decisions based on what is best for the company in this
difficult time and to try and save as many jobs as possible until we can start
operating again. At the moment every employee of the company accepted to take
salary cuts for the time being until the worst is over and we can start
operating again.”
She is glad that there is state aid for businesses
in South Africa “The Government created a TERS fund (Temporary Employment
relief fund) for anyone who had a loss of income or received salary cuts during
this difficult time. Companies and individuals have the opportunity to apply
for this fund. EcoTraining applied on behalf of their employees for this relief
fund.”
Elephants, lions, hippos, hyenas, buffalos, and
antelopes roam around camp
Finances sort of sorted, for the time being, I
wonder what students and guests would experience right now if they were to be
at one of EcoTraining’s camps and Annemi describes it colourfully “They would
see untamed wilderness. They would see wildlife roaming freely in and around
camps. We occasionally see elephant, lion, hippo, hyena, buffalo, and antelope
in and around our camps. Not to mention all the smaller animals, birds, and
insects. Autumn gives a rustic touch to the bush, with colours of brown, orange
and red. Trees are beginning to lose their leaves."
Annemi points out that "We at EcoTraining are
not allowed to conduct any form of training during the lockdown, " but happily
adds how delighted she is for the few guests still staying with them "We
are in the fortunate position to host international students who did not have
the opportunity to go home. Although they cannot go out on activities, due to
the location of our camps, they are in touch with nature 24/7."
Guests from all over the world book at EcoTraining eager
to learn as much as possible about nature, about biodiversity and about which
role wildlife and conversation plays in today’s environment. Annemi confirms it
is so unfortunate that people can’t visit camps right now “We miss welcoming
new students to our camps. We miss having the opportunity to teach and educate
people about nature and the wilderness. It is a sad reality and a missed
opportunity to train guides and guardians of the natural world.”
Annemi sees the positive in an overall rather
dreary situation “I have never seen places like Durban and Cape Town so
beautiful than during lockdown (from photos). I never knew Durban was such a
beautiful place until one could only see places and no people! There is some
good that came from this lockdown. Some people could see a clear night sky for
the first time in years! That in itself is fantastic.”
This whole situation has a ripple effect on
absolutely everything
The world is in waiting. One country is watching
the other. Epidemiologists are searching. Governments are trying to establish
guidelines. Guides that give details for deriving test results, overall
experiences, and insights. Everyone wants to know how life in other countries
evolves during the coronavirus crisis. The situation in South Africa is a
complicated one. Annemi tells me what she predicts is happening in the
foreseeable future. “I honestly have no idea. I hope that everything will
normalise very soon. We are getting no clear communication or guidelines from
the Government. Do not get me wrong, this situation is completely new and
unforeseen. I know that they (government) are in constant communication with
specialists and stakeholders around this situation and applies certain measures
based on these discussions. We have not been kept in the loop with everything,
it takes a long time for them to make a decision and to inform the public.
Again, I cannot judge – I have no ideas what kind of pressure they are under.”
Annemi underlines her words with “I do not want to
be in any of the Government official’s shoes, but South Africa is in crisis and
we need clear answers soon. People are losing jobs and some households have no
income. People are starving. This crisis has become much more than fighting
COVID-19.”
I am alarmed by this and Annemi explains in more
detail “It has become a humanitarian crisis. People are hungry, lost their
jobs, have no income. What will happen to them? People are becoming depressed,
will not be able to pay their monthly expense e.g. house mortgages, cars,
medical aid to name a few. Some will turn to petty theft to put food on the
table. People are dying from hunger; businesses are closing. This whole
situation has a ripple effect on absolutely everything. Every single sector has
been impacted and it will take months, years to build businesses to what it was
before lockdown.”
EcoTraining and working in the Coronavirus crisis
Businesses look at how to best make guests feel
safe. It is natural that everyone wants people to feel comfortable. Annemi is
positive about it and explains that EcoTraining has got a true advantage
already. "We already put certain protocol measures in place at our different
camps for when we can start operating again. Our protocols are based on the
general protocols as described by WHO and TBSCA (Tourism Business Council of
South Africa) – it has been adjusted to fit in the industry and environment we
are working. It is already being implemented with the students who are in
lockdown at the camps. We will definitely do a lot of things differently. Small
changes can make a big difference. EcoTraining’s camps are best for social
distancing, with vast open spaces. Nature is the best place to be, in my
opinion. Our camps are limited to 20 students at a time."
Love stories, community, and guardians of the
natural world
Whatever happened so far and whatever is going to
happen in the future one thing is for sure, it is all thanks to all humans who
make things possible. Annemi is grateful "I would like to thank everyone
for supporting EcoTraining. Without your support, we would not have had the
opportunity to train so many people about the wonders of nature over the past
27 years. We have seen so many success stories, relationships formed, and
memories made to last a lifetime.
We had many students starting their own businesses
in the safari industry and they are thriving. Students who fell in love and got
married. Past students and instructors working together to raise funds for
community projects. People from all over the world who take what they learnt on
the course and apply it in their own lives, countries to make a difference.
Past students working their way up to become Instructors at EcoTraining. Some
even become agents to see Field Guide and nature courses. EcoTraining is a
tight-knit community. We care for the environment and for each other.
It is a privilege and honour to see people grow
into ambassadors for nature and people. To our future clients, we are looking
forward to the day that we can welcome you back in nature. The time is now to
break free and to think about big open spaces. The African Wilderness is
calling you, EcoTraining is calling you. Let us all look forward to a new
world, with new possibilities. The end is in sight. Stay strong and stay safe.
As soon as Mother Nature is healed, we will be ready and waiting to teach new
guides and guardians of the natural world."
Thank you so much Annemi. Stay safe.
Looking for more stories from South Africa? Dream
now - Travel later.
From Berlin with love