Rhinos Saving People
Philanthropy
Have you ever heard the African proverb, “An empty stomach has no ears”?
Poverty and lack of access to basic resources is a daily challenge for many communities. Rather than being tempted to survive by accepting life-threatening engagement with poachers, a philanthropic presence empowers local communities to become rhino champions – a vital layer of protection for the species and the communities living near or amongst rhino populations.
But why rhinos? How can it be possible for a species to save us, and not the other way around? The simple answer is to change the dynamic by bringing benefits to all in the name of an ambassador species. And rhinos have the power to be just such an ambassador.
With philanthropic funding support, The Rhisotope Project collaborates with reserves and ongoing community projects that help shift the dynamic. These include specific focus areas, from boreholes to food gardens, sanitary items to school desks – each and every opportunity for a better life is possible because of rhinos.
Local communities become active custodians. Entire regions become safe zones. The black-market trade is denied a critical point in its cash flow. Security in the name of rhinos translates into security for all.
A reduction in the number of poaching attempts coupled with local community engagement and appropriate philanthropic campaigns will have the desired overall effect of reducing the number of animals being taken for their horns.
Rhinos have become ambassadors for change, where everything will be able to thrive by their existence. We need a cascade of benefits to accrue between and amongst all living things – from homo sapiens right down to the soil and the tiniest insect or dung beetle. And we need all the help we can get to keep the momentum going in our great circle of life.
The Rhisotope Project
The Rhisotope Project conducts all its charitable and nonprofit initiatives as a registered entity.
A registered non-profit company (NPC) Registration No.: 2025 / 420992 / 08
The Rhisotope Project operates under SHAPRA authorisation and approval. The Rhisotope Project also operates with pre-approval from the animal research ethics committee (AREC) in accordance with the University of Witwatersrand.