Friends of Hwange (FOH) is a locally registered NGO that is totally reliant on donor funds.

History of Friends of Hwange

Friends of Hwange was formed on the back of the extreme drought of 2005 that severely affected Hwange National Park. The National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe, plagued by lack of funding and a decrease in tourist arrivals, did not have the resources to keep enough borehole pumps going. As a result, only a handful of waterholes contained any water and countless animals died.

Hwange National Park has very little natural surface water during the dry months of the year. Most of the water has to be pumped from underground sources to surface pans so that the wildlife can drink.

Mission Statement

  • To develop and maintain water resources in Hwange National Park for the benefit of its wildlife, in collaboration with the Authorities responsible for the Park
  • To develop and maintain opportunities for the conservation of natural resources in the Park both for its intrinsic value and for the enjoyment of future generations

Aims

  • To ensure that FOH does everything in its power to prevent animal deaths owing to lack of water
  • To maintain a situation where there are sufficient well-distributed waterholes that pump water through eco-friendly, cost-effective means
  • To maintain fireguards and access roads in the park
  • To assist with conservation initiatives like anti-poaching, animal rescue, data collection and research

Wildlife: a Precious Resource

Hwange National Park is one of Zimbabwe’s most valuable resources. The tourist industry relies heavily on wildlife as a major attraction and revenue earner and provides employment opportunities for local communities.

Preserving a vast natural habitat for wildlife to exist and thrive is priceless. An ever increasing human population is threatening encroachment into natural ecosystems diminishing space for wild animals to exist.

Animals have a right to live in a natural environment, but to promote their survival, the national park must have an economic value. For these reasons, the work that Friends of Hwange does is essential.

What We Do

FOH maintains the boreholes and water pumps for all of the pans covering a large section of the park in and around the Main Camp area. With advancements in solar technology, solar powered systems have proved extremely effective and have replaced the diesel engines and windmills that were historically used to pump water.  In the dry season (April – November) the demand for available surface water increases, mainly due to the natural migration and influx of elephants. The solar systems provide sufficient water using energy which is both eco-friendly and cost effective.

In more recent years, as well as water provision for wildlife, FOH has expanded its scope of activities to include:

  • Clearance of firebreaks which is a major annual task. Initially the area is cleared of rocks, fallen trees, dead wood and general overgrowth then harrowed using a tractor and disc harrow and finally controlled burns take place. There is a limited window of time within which fire guards can be established – too early and the grass is too green and won’t burn, too late and fierce winds and tinder-dry vegetation pose too great a threat of runaway fires.
  • Anti-poaching initiatives such as scout foot patrols, snare sweeps and ranger deployments that are supported both inside and on the boundary of the National Park.
  • Maintenance of access roads.
  • Humane animal rescue work giving afflicted animals another chance at life in the wild.
  • Research into disease control and data collection of vulnerable and keystone species.
  • Camp and picnic site upkeep to promote ecotourism.

FOH is involved with all this and more.

The People of Friends of Hwange

Dave Dell is the Chairman of the Trust and is responsible for most of the fund-raising. The other trustees are John Brebner, Ken Jenkins, Dave St Quintin, Beck Edwards and Barry Wolhuter.

Gary Cantle, Jason Friend and Steve Alexander live in Main Camp and together with their work teams carry out the day-to-day work in the park. Between them they have considerable experience in Wildlife Conservation.

  • All the trustees are passionate about preserving Zimbabwe’s most precious resources for future generations. The trustees work on a voluntary basis.
  • Gary has been resident in the Park for many years. Jason and Steve have recently joined the FOH team to expand our work.