The Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust this week received a cash injection of P100 000 from Stanbic Bank for the fencing off of additional land towards the rhino conservation and environmental education.

PROTECTED: The rhinos

Stanbic Bank Managing Director, Leina Gabaraane, handed over the cheque at the main kgotla in Serowe, at a ceremony that was attended by amongst others Stanbic Bank senior management, Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trustees, villagers and other stakeholders.
Gabaraane said the donation was in recognition of the good work that the trust was doing to conserve the environment.

“Supporting the Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust is not only supporting the conservation of wildlife in general, or even the rhinoceros in particular. We are also making a crucial investment in the environment and in the communities that populate it. The local community can enjoy economic benefits through eco-tourism and the sustainable use of natural resources,” he said.

As a community-based wildlife project, the Sanctuary relies on donor contributions to operate. Overstocking of the Sanctuary necessitated an increase in the size of the land, which came to completion in the form of the allocation of 42 000ha by the Ngwato Land Board. The additional land is expected to enable the Sanctuary’s breeding programme to operate unencumbered by a limited carrying capacity. The money donated by Stanbic Bank will go towards purchasing the necessary fencing materials, the cost of transporting the materials, as well as the labour cost.
Bathusi Letlhare, Vice Chairperson of Khama Rhino Sanctuary stated, “This donation will not only go towards fencing of additional land but also go a long way in educating our communities on the importance of preserving Botswana’s unique wildlife heritage as well as creating job opportunities for the people. We are grateful to organisations like Stanbic Bank who see value in investing in the conservation of the environment as this ensures that both our communities and the economy will benefit from their effort “.

The donation is part of Stanbic Bank’s continued efforts to give back to the community in which the Bank operates. This year alone, the bank has already donated close to P300, 000 to various causes across Botswana, ranging from development of skills and human labour, to infrastructure and environment.

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