Urgent Appeal: VHS Copies of 'Running Dry' for Wildlife Clubs of Kenya's focus on "Water Catchments"

BACKGROUND:

AEFF works in partnership with a variety of dynamic African organizations, including the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, a charitable, non-governmental organization formed in 1968 by Kenyan students. WCK’s objectives are to:
• Interest and educate Kenya’s youth about the environment and natural resources.
• Alert the public to the great cultural, environmental, aesthetic and economic value of natural resources.
• Develop a better understanding of the need to conserve wildlife and other natural resources.

WCK shows AEFF’s films to over 90,000 school children annually, using a mobile cinema, and screening facilities in their regional education centers.

Each year, WCK highlights a different issue of critical importance to Kenya’s environmental health. In 2008, WCK’s activities across the country will focus on the theme “Conserve our Water Catchments”, with the following key objectives:
• To enhance awareness of the status and importance of water catchments in Kenya.
• To enlighten Kenya’s youth of their policy involvement in protecting the country’s water catchments.
• To initiate and promote club projects at regional and international levels that help the conservation of water catchments in Kenya.

THE PROJECT IN QUESTION:

Towards these objectives, in the last week of April 2008, WCK will hold a two day workshop for its Education Officers and Action Group Chairpersons from all regions and will produce an Information / Education Pack on Kenya’s Water Catchments.

1,000 education packs will be distributed and circulated countrywide. A critical component of each pack will be AEFF’s film, ‘Running Dry’.

‘Running Dry’ is an international broadcast-quality film made by the award-winning African Environmental Film Foundation. It analyzes the major water issues facing Kenya, by following the water story from the peaks of Mt Kenya to the Indian Ocean. Kenya is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, and unless measures are put in place to secure our water supply for the future, the consequences for individuals and industry will be severe. This film focuses in particular on the relationship between deforestation (of both montane forests and natural lowland vegetation cover) and the loss of water supplies to the country as a whole. The film addresses issues such as the mass clearing of bushland (for charcoal production), pollution, waste and over-exploitation of water supplies.
‘Running Dry’ was deemed so important by the Global Environmental Facility that this film was shown on specially erected screens in the Water Dome, throughout the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

It is of critical importance that this film is included in the 1000 education packs being prepared by the WCK for countrywide distribution. If included, the film will be viewed by thousands of Kenyan school children who collectively can make a real difference to the future wellbeing of this country – its environment, its wildlife and its people.

To date, the African Environmental Film Foundation has funded the production of this film in its entirety (at a cost of US$ 150,000), and the production of 350 VHS copies, which have already been donated to the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya for inclusion in the education packs.

AEFF is urgently seeking the balance of funding to produce the final 650 VHS copies required to complete the 1000 education packs. The VHS copies will be produced in Kenya (thereby also supporting Kenyan companies at this time when Kenyan industry needs to rebuild after the recent troubles), at a cost of US$ 5.90 per copy – therefore, a total of US$ 3,835 (or GBP 1,976 - or 260,000 Kenya Shillings.)

Due to urgency of this appeal (the VHS copies need to be produced by the end of March 2008, in order to be ready in time), AEFF is ideally seeking a single donor whose contribution to this project will bear testament to their commitment to improving Kenya’s environment, while strengthening and broadening the educational opportunities for our young people.

Checks can be made payable to the ‘African Environmental Film Foundation’ and mailed to AEFF or a contribution can be made online now via Paypal. Please send us an email to ensure we link your contribution with this project, or indeed to ask us any questions you may have with regards to this project.

Thank You.

More information about the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya "Water Catchment Workshop" can be downloaded here (including details of the contents of the educational packs and how they will be used to maximum effect).

Update on Monday, February 25, 2008 at 01:00PM by Tanya

We are delighted to announce this Appeal received an immediate response and this project has now been made possible by the generous contributions of Amara Conservation (UK) and Viewfinders Ltd (Kenya).

Click here for more info...