OUR AFRICAN KNIGHTS CHILDREN'S SAFARI PROJECT
(Please scroll down to view a video of one of our trips)
"Occurring too often to be labelled coincidence, I've seen the African wilderness experience change people... I've seen the timid made brave, the arrogant humbled, the confused given perspective and clarity, the hurt healed and most encouraging of all... I've seen laughter restored and hearts and minds once more set to dreaming!" - Keith Murray, owner of African Knights Student Tours & Safaris and founder of the African Knights Children’s Safari Project.
Born in Zimbabwe and now living in South Africa, over the past 15 years Keith has led more than 30 one month overland safaris on the famed Cape to Victoria Falls overland route through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe as well as a great many backpacker tours on the Garden Route and camping safaris into the Kalahari. He says: "Since leading my very first tour I remember thinking just how amazing it would be to use overlanding (the generic term given to touring in large groups using purpose-built trucks) as a medium to take groups of disadvantaged children and their care-workers from cities on safari into the African wilderness. The vehicles seemed purpose built for just this type of opportunity. Overlanding is notoriously safe, cheap to operate and reliable, a fantastic way for groups of people to receive a hands-on introduction to all that Africa has to offer. Having transportation, accommodation, water, refrigeration and cooking facilities all included in one compact unit means that we can move up to 30 passengers anywhere, anytime; all that is required is a destination, of which there are many!"
It is for this reason then that African Knights, as an organisation, is committed to utilising the African wilderness, her people, wildlife, wide open spaces and inherent beauty, to assist in the healing, education and social development of disadvantaged and previously disadvantaged children and teenagers in South Africa."One only needs to mention the words "African Safari" to a young person and what the mind conjurs are visions of a magical journey into a primitive, untamed animal kingdom of sights, sounds and experiences beyond the imagination. For many not so fortunate, such an adventure has always been the stuff of dreams. Until now...
Financed by an existing and vibrant tourism industry and the support of Stellenbosch University International Office and the hundreds of international students we take on safari, African Knights make what has until now always been an experience of the privileged... into a dream come true for those less fortunate. Those set to benefit most from this life-embracing venture include: orphaned and abused children, teenagers recovering from drug addiction and "at-risk" youth (street children) - often the direct result of increased urbanization in our country.
It's a sad fact but most marginalized children today grow up in cities with little or no knowledge of the natural world that surrounds them just beyond the concrete urban sprawl they call home... It's a grave irony then, that in a world where we are trying to educate our children and future generations about protecting the natural environment, few actually get to see what we are talking about. Can we really expect them to respond without giving them the benefit of experience? We believe that being exposed to an experience of this nature as a child has many important educational and personal developmental benefits. We believe that such an early experience can:
· Promote a better understanding of the natural world and a healthy respect for her fragile eco-systems.
· Educate children about the diversity of other cultures.
· Act as a natural healing process for children who may be suffering from trauma.
· Influence and assist those teenagers who show an interest and attraction to the outdoors into pursuing a future career in
eco- tourism, tour guiding, conservation or a similar field, a direction and opportunity previously unknown to them.
Born in Zimbabwe and now living in South Africa, over the past 15 years Keith has led more than 30 one month overland safaris on the famed Cape to Victoria Falls overland route through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe as well as a great many backpacker tours on the Garden Route and camping safaris into the Kalahari. He says: "Since leading my very first tour I remember thinking just how amazing it would be to use overlanding (the generic term given to touring in large groups using purpose-built trucks) as a medium to take groups of disadvantaged children and their care-workers from cities on safari into the African wilderness. The vehicles seemed purpose built for just this type of opportunity. Overlanding is notoriously safe, cheap to operate and reliable, a fantastic way for groups of people to receive a hands-on introduction to all that Africa has to offer. Having transportation, accommodation, water, refrigeration and cooking facilities all included in one compact unit means that we can move up to 30 passengers anywhere, anytime; all that is required is a destination, of which there are many!"
It is for this reason then that African Knights, as an organisation, is committed to utilising the African wilderness, her people, wildlife, wide open spaces and inherent beauty, to assist in the healing, education and social development of disadvantaged and previously disadvantaged children and teenagers in South Africa."One only needs to mention the words "African Safari" to a young person and what the mind conjurs are visions of a magical journey into a primitive, untamed animal kingdom of sights, sounds and experiences beyond the imagination. For many not so fortunate, such an adventure has always been the stuff of dreams. Until now...
Financed by an existing and vibrant tourism industry and the support of Stellenbosch University International Office and the hundreds of international students we take on safari, African Knights make what has until now always been an experience of the privileged... into a dream come true for those less fortunate. Those set to benefit most from this life-embracing venture include: orphaned and abused children, teenagers recovering from drug addiction and "at-risk" youth (street children) - often the direct result of increased urbanization in our country.
It's a sad fact but most marginalized children today grow up in cities with little or no knowledge of the natural world that surrounds them just beyond the concrete urban sprawl they call home... It's a grave irony then, that in a world where we are trying to educate our children and future generations about protecting the natural environment, few actually get to see what we are talking about. Can we really expect them to respond without giving them the benefit of experience? We believe that being exposed to an experience of this nature as a child has many important educational and personal developmental benefits. We believe that such an early experience can:
· Promote a better understanding of the natural world and a healthy respect for her fragile eco-systems.
· Educate children about the diversity of other cultures.
· Act as a natural healing process for children who may be suffering from trauma.
· Influence and assist those teenagers who show an interest and attraction to the outdoors into pursuing a future career in
eco- tourism, tour guiding, conservation or a similar field, a direction and opportunity previously unknown to them.
