Scholarship
Young adults from Botswana have the opportunity to apply to the Knyphausen Foundation for an educational scholarship that enables them to train as professional safari guides.
In addition, the Knyphausen Foundation supports the young local trainers of the Junior Ranger Program with “train-the-trainer” courses, in which they gain practical experience in the bush and learn what matters most in the areas of biodiversity and environmental protection, particularly for educational work with children and young people.
Safari tourism is the second-largest source of economic revenue in Botswana and is therefore a secure line of work. Unlike other countries in the region, the Botswana government places a high value on quality standards; the profession of safari guide is held in high regard.
The intensive safari guide training course lays the foundation for a professional career as a safari guide and is designed to offer young adults—especially women—from financially disadvantaged families the opportunity to learn the profession of guiding so that they can provide for themselves and their families in the long term.
Both courses were developed in collaboration with Okwa Sarefo (Wild Expedition Safaris), a long-time friend and partner of the Knyphausen Foundation in the field of training in the Botswana bush, who accompanies and trains the participants on-site.
- Intensive Safari Guide Course
The scholarship covers the costs of participating in a one-month mobile camp in the Botswana bush, which offers both intensive practical and theoretical training sessions to prepare for the safari guide exam. In addition, participants receive financial support to obtain their driver’s license, which is an essential requirement for this profession. Also included is a one-day course on finance with Katja Visser from the “Leadership to Impact Academy.”
Upon completion of the course, graduates are well-prepared to gain their first professional experience, for example as interns at local lodges, and to take the state exam to become a safari guide.
- Four-day “Train the Trainer” course
The Knyphausen Foundation’s “Train the Trainer” course is primarily aimed at local trainers of the Junior Ranger Program and is specifically designed for multipliers who work with children and young people. During a four-day camp in the Botswana bush, the young trainers gain hands-on experience with nature and learn playful methods to vividly convey environmental concepts to children. The course is held once a year.