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WILD SHOTS OUTREACH

Supporting young South Africans through photography

We’re proud to be supporting Wild Shots Outreach, an innovative project to engage young South Africans from disadvantaged communities in wildlife and wild places through photography.

Involving local communities in wildlife conservation is essential if wild places are to be preserved for future generations, yet many young people living in disadvantaged communities on the edges of South African national parks never get the opportunity to experience the wilderness on their doorsteps.  In 2015 photographer and educationalist Mike Kendrick set up Wild Shots Outreach to help share the beauty and value of South Africa’s wildlife with all its citizens, through the power of photography.

High school students living near to Kruger national park are taught the basics of wildlife photography, using donated DSLR cameras, and given access to the park, often for the first time. Workshops aim to nurture an appreciation of wildlife, its importance, beauty and conservation value, as well as developing self-confidence, self-esteem and life skills and promoting students’ creativity and artistic skills. ​

Each course consists of five workshop sessions in schools or on residential weekends in a game reserve. At the end of the course, students, mainly aged 15 to 17, are presented with certificates and prints of their photographs. Each school receives a camera so that the students can continue to use their new skills.

More than 400 students have already completed the course, and six exhibitions have been staged featuring student photographs, including at the prestigious Everard Read Gallery in Johannesburg and in local communities. The project also runs wildlife photography programmes for the NGO Elephants Alive, targeting school children from communities with wildlife conflict and poaching issues. Students photographed elephant collaring operations in the field, with a follow up exhibition in their community, attended by 600.

To find out more about the project visit the Wild Shots Outreach website, and check out it’s YouTube channel for some fascinating videos.

How you are helping

Photography can be life-changing, and already students helped by Wild Shots Outreach are finding career opportunities in photography and conservation.  You will be helping support Wild Shots Outreach simply by booking a safari with us, as we’ll be making a £25 donation for every booking.

If you’d like to do a little more, there are several ways you can help:

Donate cash

If you have small amounts of currency left at the end of your safari, you can give it to us and we’ll make sure it is passed to the project.  Even small donations can help.

Donate by bank transfer

Visit the project website, wildshotsoutreach.org, and you will find bank details on the contact page.

Donate equipment

If you have ‘retired’ cameras or lenses that you would like to donate to Wild Shots Outreach, bring them with you on safari and give them to us. We’ll make sure they are delivered to the project, where they will find a new lease of life and help inspire the young conservationists of tomorrow. There’s a particular need for good quality lenses, especially telephotos.