Wondering How a Well Reduces Poaching?

My friend, Kelly, recently asked me how a well for children will reduce poaching. I thought it was a great question and wanted to share my answer with you.

There are two ways a well will reduce poaching and hunting of endangered wildlife.

One, by reducing human/animal conflict over shared water sources and two, by freeing up children's time and allowing them to attend school so they can become educated about conservation issues.

Because both animals and humans are fighting for the same water source and because we can't reason with the elephants and other animals, we are going to start by creating the well/clean water source for the humans. This will leave the other water source for the animals for starters. Once the well is finished, we can get a permit from the nearby national park to tap into the well and create an off-shoot pipe that will allow us to direct water a few kilometers away where we can create a fresh waterhole for the elephants and other wildlife.

Many tribes put up "scarecrows" around a water source in an attempt to scare animals away from the water. Some animals, especially elephants get frustrated and very angry when they can't do what they want to do...especially when it comes to finding water. Sometimes they retaliate by running through villages to find water, knocking down huts, and destroying crops...thus antagonizing the humans even more, which is when the humans hunt down and kill the animals.

Gathering water is often the responsibility of the children, who have to walk several miles every day just to gather water - whether it's clean or not - leaving little to no time to attend school. By building the school next to this well, we will create a convenient and efficient way for the children to gather water for their families while also having time to attend school. The Living School will be a secondary school with a focus on wildlife and environmental conservation, where children will learn about human/animal conflict, habitat destruction, and the effects of poaching.

Thanks for your question, Kelly!

Great Migration 5k Walk - Sept. 10, 2011

The Great Migration 5k Walk to STOMP Out Poaching is back!

Our 2nd Annual Great Migration 5k Walk is September 10, 2011 and we need your support more than ever!

Last year we raised $3,000, which allowed us to get the land for the Living School in Northern Tanzania.

Here, human vs. animal conflict is extremely high. This Northern Tanzania Maasai tribe fights the local wildlife (elephants, lions, zebra, etc.) for rights to the only water source within 8 miles. It's dirty and polluted with fluoride and is causing severe birth defects. A well would significantly reduce the human vs. animal conflict over water and would provide a much needed clean source of water for the Living School students.

This year we need to raise $9,000 for the school's well, which needs to be established before we can begin building the school. This will ensure that the school is located close to the well where students can meet their family obilgations of gathering water while still getting an education.

EVENT DATE: Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 8am to 11am

LOCATION: Beach Park #1, 2509 Barnard Way, Santa Monica, CA 90405
(1 block north of where Ocean Park Blvd hits the beach.)
$5 parking is available at 2600 Barnard Way. Lot opens at 8am

Interested in volunteering? Email: MSlate@TheSlateFoundation.org

Join our list of sponsors by August 26th and get your company logo on our cool t-shirts!

Thanks so much for your continued support and we hope to see you there!

The Living School Project - See Us In Action!

Unsafe Levels of Fluoride in Drinking Water Causes Birth Defects in Maasai Children

Maasai children in Northern Tanzania are being born blind and with respiratory problems. These birth defects are attributed to the water source they drink from, which is polluted with fluoride. The unsafe levels of fluoride in their drinking water have been confirmed by scientists traveling through the area and are a well known fact among the local residents.

Congratulations Francis and Bahati Pello

Congratulations to Francis and Bahati, our good friends in Tanzania, on the birth of their son, Mike Pello! We look forward to seeing him in person and will post pictures as soon they become available!

The Slate Foundation Receives 5 Star Award from GreatNonprofits

A great big thank you to everyone who wrote a review for The Slate Foundation on GreatNonprofits. We have been awarded with a 5 star award acknowledging our creditability and impact. The award badge will be added to our website soon!

Don't forget to register for the 2nd Annual Great Migration Against Poaching! Visit our GET INVOLVED page, then scroll down to EVENTS for details! See you at the starting line on July 24th!

A New Member's Story

Following is one woman's brief story of how joining The Slate Foundation's program in the DRC has changed her life. Keep in mind that English is her second language.

I am Justine. I am satisfied by the women group. Since many days, I could not be able to have some money because I had not any service to do. Now I know how to sew. I have learnt without paying any money. A part of this, I am learning how feed animals like chicken, rabbit, got. Something which has astonished me is that the group is specialist in education. Notions which we considered that they are not important women are now integrated in it: it conservation. Protection of wildlife is they preoccupation.
This monkey is my realisation in my sewing activity. But we have again some problems: the sewing machines are not enough and we miss other kind of quality.