 The
AfriCat North Environmental Education Centre is ideally situated
for schools and communities in the northern and north-western
parts of Namibia. Thanks to a generous donation by the Swedish
Local Environment Fund (SIDA) in collaboration with the Namibian
Nature Foundation (NNF), the construction of the first classroom
at the Environmental Education Centre was completed by September
2001. The building of ablution facilities has since been completed
and classroom equipment was privately sponsored. The construction
of thatched shade areas, designed to encourage outdoor teaching,
was completed in September 2002. The Centre offers youth groups
and farming communities of the Kunene, as well as other regions,
the opportunity to participate in extensiveenvironmental education
programmes, ultimately encouraging attitude change and establishing
a deep-seated awareness of environmental issues, specifically
those involving large carnivores.
The environmental education programme includes study of the ecosystem
and animal behaviour, as well as farm
management and improved livestock-protection methods.
Youth of all ages are encouraged to become
involved in an Environmental Education Outreach Programme,
where active participation enables them to learn more about
large carnivores, their role within the natural ecosystem and
the problems facing these animals due to loss of ideal habitat,
disease, drought and persecution.
Since its inception the AfriCat Environmental
Education Programme has reached over 20 000 children and young
adults at the Education Centres and through the Outreach Programme.
 For more information about the Education Programmes
Okonjima and AfriCat are involved in click on the following links:
The
Perivoli - Okonjima Country School
The
WSPA - AfriCat Environmental Education Centre
AfriCat
North Environmental Education Centre
 
 
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After many years of working with the farming communities it became evident that environmental education was vital to the long-term conservation of large carnivores. The main aim of the programme will be to develop and improve environmental education for the benefit of the Namibian people in an attempt to increase awareness and understanding of the complexities of environmental issues, promote greater tolerance of large carnivores outside of protected areas and to find practical solutions to the human-wildlife conflict situation. The programme will endeavour to develop the knowledge and skills of learners and communities, enabling them to participate in the conservation and sustainable management of wildlife populations in Namibia. 
