Steve and Anna Tolan, formerly Police Officers in England emigrated to Zambia in 1998 in order to establish the Chipembele Wildlife Education Centre. On moving to Zambia they were fortunate enough to be given some land by the late Chief Kakumbi on which to build the Centre, located on the banks of the Luangwa River opposite South Luangwa National Park, approximately 16km south of Mfuwe. They established a charitable trust and used all their personal savings to finance it. They are now running the Centre from their own personal finances and with the help of private donations.
The Chipembele Wildlife Education Centre opened in May 2001.
The Centre is comprised of a classroom, library, office and large interpretive room, full of interesting exhibits and displays on wildlife and the natural environment. There are display areas on
- Geography and Climate
- Geography and Climate
- Geology and the History of Man
- Animals and Birds
- Fish and Fishing
- Insects
- Plants
- Poaching and Anti-Poaching
- NGO's
- Hunting
- Tourism
- Environmental Problems
There is no fee to any government run school. (Private schools are requested to make a small donation.)
Steve is now actively involved in anti-poaching work in the area under the South Luangwa Conservation Society. They are both trustees of the Society and Anna is in leading the Conservation Education Programme.
Anna has developed her interest in and love of animals by rearing orphaned wild animals that are brought to her from all over the area.
She also runs a Pupil Sponsorship Scheme for orphaned children who are unable to find the fees and uniform necessary to attend school.
She has also managed a number of school improvement projects using funds raised by friends in England.
The Chipembele Wildlife Education Centre website can be found here: www.chipembele.org
Having retired / resigned from the English Police Force, what inspired you to move to the Zambia and set up the Chipembele Wildlife Education Centre?
We had been travelling each year to Africa since 1989 and had fallen in love with the continent. During the first few days of our initial trip we both knew we had to live there one day. Africa became an obsession; we read African books avidly, watched every African wildlife film and video available, collected African artefacts, old books and early postcards and always dreamed about the next trip. We visited Zambia in 1994 and knew then it was the country we wanted to settle in. !t is known in the tourism trade as the Real Africa and it does still have that wide open, rugged, natural feel about it. We also felt very comfortable with the people, it was English speaking and had a stable economy and political background. We just felt at home there.
How were you received by the local people and were your efforts initially appreciated?
The local people were very accepting of us right from the start and helped us to secure some land from the local Chief. He became our greatest ally. However we faced fierce opposition from the tour operators in the area and from ZAWA (Zambia Wildlife Authority). We had been given a prime piece of land on the Luangwa River opposite South Luangwa National P ark and they thought it should have been reserved for tourism so that revenue could be earned from it. After a year of fighting the opposition, a stakeholder's meeting was called. It went on all day and at the end the consensus was we could stay and build the Centre. We won on the grounds of overwhelming community support and of our argument that the local community has as much right (if not more) to a facility on the Luangwa River than wealthy international tourists. Nobody could argue against that.
How did you set up the Centre and how was it financed?
We used the money from the proceeds of the sale of our house in the UK. We used local labour and local materials (rocks, sand, gravel) wherever possible. It took less than a year to complete.
What challenges have you faced - are you currently facing - and can you foresee in the future?
The Centre runs like a dream. The biggest problems remain logistical ones. We live 10 miles from the small settlement of Mfuwe down a terrible dirt road which is very challenging to say the least in the rainy season! It has deteriorated badly over the past few years and the wear and tear on the vehicles is shocking. Getting supplies is always difficult. The nearest supermarket is 95 miles away, 85 miles of which is a dirt road! In February 2007 we were subject of a major flood (the last one was in 1978) and lost a fair amount of books and equipment in the Centre. Our well collapsed and we have no clean or running water. But we have e-mail and the Internet so things aren't that bad!
What are the aims of the Centre?
The aim of the Centre is to teach the local children the value of wildlife so they may conserve it for present and future generations. We live in a very special and unique part of Africa, one of the last strongholds of wildlife. However there is a rapidly growing population close to the Park, with all the environmental problems that uncontrolled development can bring, including deforestation and poaching. If we don't educate the community to look after their wildlife it will be gone in a generation or two. There is value to us all in conserving it... jobs in the tourism industry and financial benefits to the community.
What was your prior experience of wildlife and habitat conservation, and how do you apply this knowledge when teaching children about their environment?
We have both always had a passionate interest in wildlife and were members of our local naturalist trust. I also have a degree in Environmental Science from the 70s and had always wanted to use it in a conservation career (how I ended up in the Police for 17 years is another story!). I now feel I am doing what I always wanted to do. Although neither of us have any formal training in teaching the conservation of wildlife is a passion for us and hopefully we can pass that on to the children.
How did you establish a cirriculum that is both informative and fun for the children who study with you?
While Steve was busy building the Centre I sat in a grass bush house with a solar panel, a laptop, a printer and a laminating machine. I had never visited another wildlife or environmental education centre before in my life so was forced to using my own imagination! I surrounded myself with books and at that time had no access to the Internet. I wanted the programme to be fun, as their school days are so strict and boring. I based the programme on teamwork... the children are divided into teams and wear badges. There are word games, quizzes, interactive games and bush walks/outside activities all of which they earn points for. Every time a pupil answers a question right their team earns a point. At the end of the day the winning team members each receive a prize. It's a great way to ensure they listen and participate.
What do the children take away from your lessons?
Hopefully they will have had a fun and interesting day and some will have prizes. More importantly we try to increase their knowledge of the local wildlife and environment and why it is important to look after it. We also try and increase their knowledge of the wider world, which is often very limited. When they go home they often share what they have learned with their relatives in the village (very few have televisions so talking remains the main activity in the evening) and the message can be passed on to maybe 10 or 20 other people.
On the home page of your website, www.chipembele.org you say "Until the 1970's the Luangwa Valley had the highest concentration of black rhinos in Africa. Then poachers came for their horn and by the late 1980's all the rhinos had been wiped out." How difficult is it to get across the importance of wildlife and habitat conservation when recent history in the area has proved so depressing?
With children it's easy, as they are, like children the world over, far more open to new ideas and concepts than the older generation. Poaching is still present but far less prevalent than in the dark days of the 70's and 80's. There are a lot of positive things happening in the area and people are beginning to see the benefits of tourism and protecting the wildlife. It is a slow process but I do believe we are headed in the right direction. The future is in the hands of the next generation and by educating them early in their lives hopefully they will make good, informed choices and the right changes when they grow up.
How important are donations to your activities and how do you go about attracting investment?
Chipembele relies heavily on private donations to run all our projects. We have been completely unpaid for any of our work since arriving here and use Steve's pension to live off and to supplement the running of the projects. In 2005 our friends in the UK set up a charity called Chipembele Trust to support us and they actively fund raise for us which has helped immensely.
Aside from financial support is there any other way in which interested parties can become involved with Chipembele - if so how can they go about this?
Financial support remains the best way to assist us as unfortunately we don't have the infrastructure or resources for volunteers.
Who are the children that attend the centre and from where do they come?
The children that attend the Centre are from the local schools in Mfuwe, from distances of between 10 to 18 miles away. We pick them up and take them back in the back of our open truck. We accept Grades 5 to 12 (the level of understanding English in Grades 1 to 4 is not high enough). The Centre is also open to schools from all over Zambia if they can arrange their own transport here. We do not charge for attendance or meals.
Aside from providing education for the children is there any other way in which the centre is involved within the community?
Oh yes! We are heavily involved with the local schools, carrying out renovation and improvement projects, buying equipment from donated money etc. I also run a Pupil Sponsorship Scheme, currently with 130 orphaned pupils. I am also involved with local Women's Groups. Steve is an Honorary Wildlife Police Officer, an Honorary Forest Guard and an Honorary Forestry Officer. He is active in anti-poaching work and environmental protection and works closely with ZAWA, the Forestry Department and the local Chief. We are also trustees on the highly active South Luangwa Conservation Trust. Our days are never dull!
Describe the area in which you live and the people with whom you interact everyday.
We live in a beautiful and unspoilt part of the Zambian bush which abounds in wildlife. Behind our house lie the Nchendeni Hills and we have a mile long view of the Luangwa River. The vegetation is a beautiful mix of varied riverine tees and open scrubland. We have an almost 360 degree view of the night sky and on a clear night the stars are breathtaking. We have 4 workers who are all men and who have families in Mfuwe. They live here for 3 weeks of the month then go home for a week off. They are a fantastic support to us, very hard working and loyal. They all speak English and have a terrific sense of humour despite all the hardships they face in their villages.
What is the state of wildlife conservation in your area of Zambia?
South Luangwa National Park is one of 19 NPs in Zambia but we are fortunate in that the conservation status is higher than any other. The South Luangwa Conservation Society is supported by the local lodges and the Danish Embassy and runs a highly efficient group of about 20 scouts who help ZAWA in anti-poaching work. This has considerably assisted ZAWA in the protection of wildlife in the area. In many other Parks wildlife is almost completely poached out but here it is still in abundance.
What advice have you for anyone considering making such a move as you have done?
Only make the move it if you are passionate about it. Bureaucracy and logistical problems will delay and frustrate you beyond belief but if you hold fast the dream the rewards are immeasurable.
Aside from the education centre, what are your personal interests / hobbies, if indeed time permits such follies?
We are avid collectors of archaeological artefacts (stone tools, pottery, beads etc) and fossils. They abound in the area and little research has been done here. We liaise with the Dept of Heritage and an archaeologist from Liverpool University, Dr Larry Barham, who is carrying out a 5 year study here and have made some important finds. We also rear orphaned and injured animals and rehabilitate them to the wild.
What impact has living in Zambia had upon your lives and have you any regrets?
Our lives have completely changed, for the better! Every day is fresh and exciting with new challenges and adventures without all the hustle and bustle and stress of life in the UK. We have no regrets. We could never live in the UK again, although enjoy visiting friends and family when we can.
What have been the most rewarding / disappointing experiences of your new lives in Africa?
Rewarding... getting 130 pupils sponsored to school each year when they would otherwise not have been able to afford it, having someone tell you their child can't sleep for 2 nights before they come to Chipembele, rearing orphaned animals and successfully returning them to the wild, helping a very bright orphaned girl that Steve and I personally sponsored to get a bursary to study at a College in the UK, etc. I could write a book on that one!
Disappointing... seeing some trusted and respected community members steal money (on more than one occasion) that was the proceeds of conservation/tourism activities and intended for community projects.
How do you see the future of the Chipembele Wildlife Education Centre?
This is a life time project for us and it will progress and grow through the years as the local situation and of course finances dictate. We rely on financial support from outside and with the good will of our regular supporters and new donors the project can continue to grow well into the future.
The views expressed therein are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Safaritalk.