The cheetah is a cultural symbol for our company that embodies our values of speed of innovation and absolute responsiveness, as well as our focus on collaborating together in coalitions. At last year’s Global Leadership Meeting, NuVasive donated money to the African Wildlife Conservation Fund (AWCF) through guest speaker, Kim Wolhuter. The AWCF has ongoing research projects led by Dr. Rosemary Groom. The NuVasive donation helped fund multiple cheetah conservation efforts within their Education and Outreach program.
The AWCF printed 500 copies of different conservation posters and distributed them across 125 primary schools in rural Zimbabwe last October. These schools are all within 10-15 kilometers of the Parks and Conservancies in the Zimbabwean Lowveld. They target the upper primary level, primarily Grade six and their classrooms. The posters are very popular with the kids, who get to learn and understand more conservation awareness and the endangered species.
In addition to the posters, the NuVasive donation was able to support a library program. Over a hundred primary schools now have established libraries because of the partnership between AWCF, the Zambezi Schoolbook Project, and the Rotary Club of Harare. NuVasive was able to cover a portion of the textbook distribution costs as well as multiple librarian training workshops.
The final segment of our donation was put toward the operation of the AWCF’s school field trip program. Students are able to enter the Gonarezhou National Park and see firsthand the animal species and beauty of the park. They learn about the importance of the ecosystem and the intrinsic and economic value of wildlife.
If you’re interested in learning more about the African Wildlife Conservation Fund and how to donate to the cause, click here.