It is a sad reality that many children in South Africa live in desperate circumstances without a single storybook to call their own. We want to change this, by inspiring youngsters to see nature and wildlife as something to be treasured. As part of our environmental education outreach programme, the Cape Leopard Trust, in partnership with a group of like-minded individuals, has created a leopard storybook which is also a valuable conservation tool. In easy to understand prose, translated into English, Afrikaans and Xhosa, the story is a tale of growing up in the wild and addresses some of the dangers that leopards face in their fight for survival. Following on from the story, there are pages of fun activities and a facts section, educating children about the mysterious and secretive leopards of the Cape.
Our dream is to publish ‘Footprints in the Fynbos’ and give the gift of a book to 1000 underprivileged children. We also hope to have the book on sale at popular bookshops to help raise funds for our education project, to enable us to reach more children in need, but we need to raise R250 000 to fund the whole project.
We have created a BackABuddy crowdfunding campaign to try and raise a portion of the necessary funds. Each R50 pledge will enable us to gift a child a copy of the 72-page book and engage them in a fun way, providing a rare opportunity of distraction from the difficulties they face on a daily basis. A book is also an important legacy, something to call one's own, that can be revisited time and time again.
Please support our campaign and help us bring this dream to life by donating: www.backabuddy.co.za/leeto-the-leopard
The story of Leeto and his friends is an important one, if we are to protect the Cape's fragile biodiversity for future generations. We should not forget what a gift it is for us to still have wild leopards around us in the Cape, keeping our ecosystems in balance. We would be much poorer without them.
More about the book:
The book is an accessible, entertaining and interactive platform, aimed at participants between the ages of 7 and14. It explains the importance of conserving endangered animal species (especially predators), and encourages youngsters to take interest and pride in the natural environment. Rather than being presented didactically, the learning outcomes in the book are introduced in a fun way by weaving conservation facts and activities around a story. Witty and engaging illustrations and photographs complement the text that will bring a smile to any child's face. The font used in the book is dyslexic friendly, making it accessible to children with special needs.
The next step for this project:
The book needs to be published, printed and translated into isiXhosa and Afrikaans as well as into an audiobook to ensure it is accessible to differently-abled learners. In the longer term, a sign language version of the book will be produced to spread the love even wider.
To find out more about the project or to offer your support contact [email protected]
