In case you haven’t noticed yet, Veldskoen is on a mission to celebrate and promote South Africa. Everything we do is underwritten by our promise to move South Africa forward. To protect our wildlife, to create work for our citizens, to show the world what an amazing holiday destination South Africa is!

 

Likeminded Partners

In Kariega (both the Game Reserve and the Foundation, because they are run by the same group of people) we’ve found likeminded partners who feel the same way about our beautiful country. So, we made a shoe together! A shoe that saves rhino and empowers people. 

 

The Kariega Veldskoen

The Kariega Veldskoen is a gorgeous olive green nubuck chukka boot. In addition to our signature SA flag, there’s a tiny rhino motif on the heel of the shoe. This is our little reminder that 50% of the profit generated by sales of these shoes are donated to Kariega to support their amazing holistic community and conservation initiatives, the most prominent one, being their world class Anti-Poaching Unit.

 

Kariega's holistic approach to conservation

The Kariega Game Reserve APU includes a dedicated K9 unit and the GCF Mounted Unit. Their vision is to continually grow this APU team with members of the communities surrounding the Kariega Reserve. This has already started with the Kariega Foundation, identifying community members with the drive and
aptitude for animal conservation, providing them with professional training, and employing them to protect the endangered species found on the reserve.

 

The anti-poaching unit, is perhaps the icing on a layered cake. The base layer is Kariega’s Youth Development Programme, which offers school children from the surrounding communities the opportunity to play sport, receive social and emotional learning training and; engage in environmental education activities. It also supports them with a safe place to do homework in the afternoons. These
programmes, managed by community coaches, have allowed local children the opportunity to develop their talents. Some have gone on to play sport competitively at the provincial and national levels; others have attended wildlife procedures on the reserve and some have entered the Kariega Foundation
Internship programme and received APU and FIGASA training and created employment opportunities for themselves.

 

Kariega’s conservation mission is strategically holistic. They focus on empowering the community with the same fervour as they do conservation, because they believe that people who are provided with meaningful opportunities to work, learn and earn,  do not see the quick returns from dangerous poaching as an opportunity to better their lives. 

 

 

Kariega is also invested in keeping community kitchens well stocked. Their youth permaculture programme teaches high school students to create hot compost and how to farm fruits and vegetables on a small scale. The compost, skills, and produce is returned to the community. 

Long term Investment in people’s lives and well being, is the key to Kariega’s conservation success. They truly cultivate community through conservation, and conservation through the community. 

We are proud to play a small part in these amazing initiatives through the Kariega Veldskoen.