Submitted by Mashudu Makhokha, Lapalala Wilderness School
Lapalala Wilderness School held its 11th annual Rhino Poster and Public Speaking competition over the last weekend of September, coinciding with World Rhino Day. A record number of 134 students from 55 schools across South Africa participated this year.
Grade 10 learners were required to present a 3 to 5-minute speech about the social, economic and environmental impact of Rhino Poaching, while Grade 12 learners submitted an essay on the topic.
“Life is not always easy for learners in the remote rural villages of the Waterberg. Many families are fractured and under-resourced, and the things city dwellers take for granted, like running water in our schools and homes, are considered luxuries,” says Mashudu Makhokha, director of the school. “Education is valued and seen as a privilege and a means to break the cycle of poverty. “
The LWS Rhino Speaking Competition is one of the highlights of the academic year for these learners, and it is so much more than just a competition.
“An African Proverb says ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ and the LWS event is this proverb in action,” says Makhokha. “The village, in this instance, are the educators at both LWS and the individual schools who work with and encourage the learners in the lengthy preparation required for the competition. It is also the friends and family who support the learners and the generous sponsors who provide the transport, clothing, accommodation, meals and prizes for the participants.”
The prizes offered, coupled with the learners’ passion and ambitions, are why the number of entrants for this event grows yearly. The first prize for Grade 10 was a laptop and printer, the second was a tablet, the third was school uniform vouchers, the fourth was study aid vouchers, and the fifth was stationery vouchers.
The Grade 12 winners were awarded a life-changing opportunity: a bursary to complete a degree in conservation, followed by a two-year work contract with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. (DFFE).
“The passion, knowledge, and eloquence shown by the learners was genuinely inspiring. Every child who stepped onto that stage is a winner, and the judges and I applaud every one of you for your critical thinking, environmental awareness, and a love for our magnificent rhinos,” says Makhokha.