How to make a difference this Giving Tuesday

What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving, started out as a simple idea; a day to encourage people to do good.

Here at RHINO Stationery, we do good by supporting Save The Rhino International throughout the year. As their proud partner, and with your help, to date, we’ve been able to donate over £100k to support their vision for a world where rhinos thrive.

Why should I donate today?

If you donate today, on Giving Tuesday, your donation towards Save KZN’s Rhinos appeal will be tripled!

Today, thanks to generous long-term donors, a donation of just £3 from you will be tripled to £9.

Your contribution will go directly to saving uMkhuze’s rhinos, by supporting anti-poaching activities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Sadly, 2022 brought a surge in rhino poaching across KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province in South Africa; on average, one rhino is currently being poached every 34 hours and it takes dedicated rangers, working diligently to combat this crisis.

Rangers like those at uMkhuze Game Reserve, a reserve covering around 45,000 hectares in the north of the province, close to the Mozambique border. uMkhuze is relatively small – for comparison, Kruger National Park is approximately 2,000,000 hectares – but nevertheless, its rhinos are incredibly important; the black rhino population at uMkhuze is one of only two remaining original black rhino populations in KZN, making the protection of these rhinos even more vital.

The impact of Covid-19

The current crisis in KZN follows a Covid-19 pandemic that has squeezed the park’s resources more than ever, making things incredibly difficult for the rangers who strive to protect rhinos. Budget freezes and diminishing resources have limited the reserve’s ability to recruit new rangers, maintain fences, and keep those on duty well-equipped, well-trained, and well-rested.

With the increasing threat across the region, uMkhuze’s rangers are working harder than ever, constantly on high alert, doing everything possible to keep their rhinos safe. It hasn’t been easy. As a small reserve, uMkhuze is particularly difficult to protect; poachers can exit the reserve quickly, escaping by vehicle once outside of the boundary, and then, most likely, traveling to the Mozambique border, which has often been used as an illegal smuggling route. To stop poaching attempts and catch those responsible, uMkhuze’s teams must act quickly.

When money and resources for increasing teams are tight, other factors, such as technology, become essential ‘force multipliers’ to support anti-poaching work. Adding a strong and secure Wi-Fi network across the park and installing more cameras in key locations, for example, can help rangers respond quickly and safely to suspected poaching incursions, and so keep more rhinos safe.

Eduard Goosen, Conservation Manager, uMkhuze Game Reserve, said:

“The reality is that the situation around fiscal and human resources is not getting any better, and we need to adapt and innovate as much as we can to address the threat at the ground level. We need to change the way we think and do. We need to change hearts and minds, and we just can’t do it on our own.

We need a sustainable approach to address the risks. However, all the time we are doing crisis management due to diminishing resources, the enabling environment to create desired change will not come about. And this, we can only do with your support and through effective collaboration. We appreciate and commend you for your support in assisting us in our endeavour to protect biodiversity”.

Save the Rhino International wouldn't be able to do it without your help!

It’s thanks to people like Eduard that uMkhuze’s rhinos are protected. And it’s thanks to people like you that Eduard and his team can continue their essential rhino protection work.

With your generous donations to Save KZN’s Rhinos appeal, they can provide more support to Eduard and other rangers at uMkhuze, funding more force multipliers that can truly make a difference to their work. During such tough times, uMkhuze’s rangers need every bit of help they can get.

If you’re looking for a meaningful gift for a loved one this festive season, head on over to Save the Rhino International to shop their merchandise or buy a membership as a gift, all purchases made in their shop will help support the vital conservation work.