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Ford Donates $25K to Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust in Zimbabwe

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Ford Motor Company last month revealed that it had donated $25,000 to the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust in Zimbabwe. The grant is to be used toward the endeavor of promoting conservation in the region.

“Once a week we transport a group of school children from the area to interact with wildlife ambassadors and discuss the importance of conservation and natural resources,” says Alberto DeLeo, the Trust’s Managing Director. “This education is crucial to create conservation awareness, and the grant from the Ford Motor Company will make it possible for us to reach a lot more children.”

The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust provides the opportunity to speak with ambassadors and learn about the importance of conservation to an estimated 800-1,000 students every year. DeLeo notes that tours through VFWT are typically the first time that children will encounter animals outside of a conflict situation.

The tour also consists of a lunch for the attending students and a pamphlet that provides information regarding the dangers of poisoning and poaching among other issues.

The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust also provides services including a rescue and rehabilitation center for animals that have been injured or lost their parents. The animals are cared for in the hopes of building them back up to be rereleased into the wild, but those that are not able are given purpose by becoming part of the trust’s ambassador program.

Ford’s grant will not only support those aforementioned endeavors, but it will also help fund the creation of a facility that will focus on 24-hour care for mammals and birds.