Victoria Falls villagers recycle wire snares in anti-poaching drive

VILLAGERS from the Dibutibu community on the outskirts of Victoria Falls have started benefiting from an anti-poaching wire snares recycling programme initiated by Jafuta Foundation through its commercial arm, Batoka Creatives.

Jafuta Foundation is a non-profit making organisation and Batoka Creatives is its commercial arm. Both were founded by Mrs Gail van Jaarsveldt.

Batoka Creatives was established after Covid-19 partly as a response to the adverse effects of the pandemic with a focus on gender-based violence among the priority areas.

Dozens of women, men and the youth are benefiting firstly from skills training on making artefacts from rusted wire snares and also from awareness-raising initiatives by the organisation.

The materials are being obtained from the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit, which removes about 200kg wire snares every year from the bush.

The wires are heated by blacksmiths and given to men and women groups to make necklaces, beads, bracelets, earrings and other artefacts, which are then sold.

Training is taking place at Jafuta Foundation Centre in Dibutibu where youths from the communities get free extra lessons, sports coaching, gardening and ICT skills training as well as socio-health education.

Dibutibu, Sizinda, Chidobe, Vulindlela and surrounding areas in Kachechete and Chidobe wards have high rates of school drop-outs as a result of early marriages and teenage pregnancies. The Covid-19 pandemic also exposed high rate of domestic violence and gender-based violence.

Project sales and marketing manager, Ms Kisintseng Ncube, said besides uplifting livelihoods, the project seeks to empower young people to stay away from engaging in drug abuse, protect them from abuse and child marriages as well as educate the community on the adverse impact of domestic violence.

The project was launched in Victoria Falls where different stakeholders such as businesspersons, ordinary citizens and tourism industry players attended.

“Batoka Creatives mainly works with women who have been affected by gender-based violence from Dibutibu. They are trained to make necklaces, beads, bracelets and other artefacts from recycled wire snares,” said Ms Ncube.

She said the Victoria Falls Anti- Poaching unit which collects about 200kg of snares annually from the bush provide the materials used by Batoka Creatives.

“We are empowering women because they are the breadwinners, they take care of the family most of the time,” said Ms Ncube.

She said the project was important in raising awareness on the dangers of poaching activities and promoting co-existence with animals.

Victoria Falls is a prime tourist destination with thousands of people from across the world coming to view wildlife in the jungle hence the importance of keeping the destination in its pristine state without killing wild animals.

Ms Ncube said the programme has so far helped a lot of people and plans are underway to spread to other communities and rope in more women.