Swaco Group commits to rhino conservation

For the second year in a row, it was the Swaco Group of Companies’ privilege to donate an amount of N$35 250 to Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) to participate in their sponsor-a-rhino programme and support their work with the desert adapted black rhino.
The rhino cow named Nigeria and her calf which the group named Nawalta last year, were “re-adopted”­ and the money will be used to finance the field patrolling and monitoring ­programme of these rhinos.
Nigeria was born in the Torra Conservancy in August 1996. She has given birth to four calves, all of which are still surviving. Her first calf, named Niger, has also given birth to two calves making Nigeria a proud ­grandmother. Nawalta is a male calf born in January 2013 and has survived the most devastating drought experienced­ in Namibia. Like most rhinos his age, he is still reliant on his mother to teach him how to survive in the wilderness.
“The days when the government was seen as the only social change agent and the absolute macro problem solver are becoming part of the past, as the corporate market is gradually realising their role too by actively participating in social and community projects under the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Namibia. Corporations have come to realise that they cannot operate in isolation to the community; that good governance and social involve­ment go beyond the work performed in their own offices,” the Swaco Group said in a statement.
“We believe in the voluntary involvement, or investment, in social projects that help advance the society or community in which we operate in areas such as health care, safety, and the ­environment, among others. Our aim is not only to consider and protect our sharehold­ers, but also all stakehold­ers; including employees, customers, suppliers, the environment and the community. We therefore commit ourselves to partnerships with government and reputable non-profit organisations­ whose development goals are aimed at viable, innovative and sustain­able solutions in response­ to national and global priori­ties.”
For that reason the group decided to support the Save the Rhino Trust for a second year in its tire­less efforts to protect the desert adapted black rhino of the Kunene and Erongo regions. From the point of near ­extinction, the rhino population has rebounded over the past 30 years due to Save the Rhino Trust’s dedication and hard work.
The trust operates in a remote, rugged area of more than a million hectares, with few fences, no national park status and no control over who goes in or out. Working closely with the ministry of environment and tourism, local communities and NGOs, its dedicated teams of trackers go out on daily patrols to monitor the last truly free-ranging population­ of black rhino in the world.
During the handover of the donation, Mr George Laubscher, (one of the directors of the Swaco Group), stated: “We are proud to be involved in the conservation­ of these two rhinos by ­participating in the preservation of this majestic animal for our future ­generations, for the continuous growth of tourism in our country and the prosperity of Namibia. We challenge all ­companies to invest in this worthy cause and equal or better our contribution.”