WOW! What a busy year. The AfriOceans Warriors Programme 2012, a 3 yr environmental education programme sponsored by the National Lotteries Board, started in earnest in January as we approached schools in the South Peninsula of Cape Town to join the programme. We started with 12 Primary schools as AfriOceans Blue Schools.
In February our AfriOceans Warriors Environmental Programme was in full swing, celebrating World Wetlands day and our wonderful team, led by Terry Corr, would successfully reach 27 000 children by the end of December 2012. Each AfriOceans Warrior went through a right of passage which included hand painting a kelp vuvuzela. In March we ran a very successful shark education programme for the Blue Flag Beaches in partnership with the City of Cape Town reaching 720 children, teaching them about the importance of sharks and shark safety.In April, we rolled out a road show up the South African coast, presenting to 6 schools as part of our HANDS UP FOR SHARKS campaign, and collected over 1000 children’s handprints for our Deep Freedive for Sharks campaign.
In June we hosted our first AfriOceans Warriors Challenge involving our 12 Tribes from various schools and communities, and our AfriOceans Warriors from Lavender Hill took part in the Peninsula Paddle at Princess Vlei. We launched a promo video of the AfriOceans Warriors, watch it here….. . We conducted Zibi Wastewise performances teaching over 10 000 township children about litter & our Oceans, and took our young Warriors on excursions to the Two Oceans Aquarium and the Imhoff Snake & Reptile Rehabilitation centre.
In September, we ran International Coastal Cleanup events for a week in partnership with the City of Cape Town, taught our special needs kids to SCUBA dive, developed the Shark Warrior beaded bracelet made by our AfriOceans Warriors and did cleanups at all our Blue Schools. In October our AfriOceans Warriors kids went on a white shark cage diving excursion with African Shark Eco Charters. We participated in the Simonstown Penguin Festival and we ran the Drains to the Oceans Programme with the City of Cape Town in Kraaifontein, where kids picked up thousands of crisp packets up on their school grounds.
Enter Maddie Cranston, a 9 year old Canadian girl who has become an inspiration and an international ambassador for AfriOceans Warriors. Watch her video of support here…
In December we held our final AfriOceans Warriors Event, involving our 17 Blue School Tribes – they displayed their eco journals and school and community Blue projects of work done during the year, held a recycled-waste fashion show, showcasing song and dance routines.They competed in an extreme AfriOceans Warriors obstacle course for the coveted AfriOceans Warriors Challenge floating trophy, won convincingly by St. James Primary in Kalk Bay. Inspired by Maddie, we selected our 6 National AfriOceans Warriors Ambassadors.
Wow! What a year! We reached 27 000 school going learners from 100 schools, reached 120 teachers and touched over 45 000 adults with our programme during 2012. 2013 promises to be even busier!
Wishing all our AfriOceans Warriors, supporters, partners and our incredible sponsors an Awesome 2013 and wherever you are, please take ACTION for our Oceans! From our AfriOceans Warriors Project team Lesley Rochat, Dr. Leonard Compagno, Terry Corr, Charmaine Rochat, Ishmael Sabodien, Monica Sokudela, Naomi Mdayi and our three CPUT interns, Ovayo, Zinthatu and Sibulele.
For our Sharks and Oceans
Terry Corr
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