At the current rate, poachers will kill off every wild rhinoceros in South Africa by 2026. How incredibly sad is that?
I work as an Accenture executive support analyst, but also as a member of the Honorary Rangers organization supporting the conservation and operational functions of South African National Parks (SANParks).
I take the Accenture core value of stewardship--"helping improve communities and the global environment"-- seriously. That's why my husband Paul and I joined the SANParks' Honorary Rangers program about five years ago. The most important thing at the moment is to raise funds to keep our anti-poaching teams on the ground and in the air. This costs millions of South African rands every year. I've also helped produce a popular calendar for the past few years using historical photographs and stories of the parks in bygone years. It's a great way for me to pursue the Accenture core value of stewardship on my own.
I may not fight alongside field rangers in gun battles against poachers--a very real possibility in South Africa--but I do whatever I can to protect rhino and other threatened species. Each region is assigned a ranger station in Kruger National Park to take care of. We are helping with fencing in the vegetable garden to protect crops from monkeys, birds and other animals.
I also bring the Accenture commitment to training to my work with the park. This is a relatively new project, so we are just starting to collect everything we need to make the lives of the rangers and their families a little more comfortable. Part of my ranger station duties include teaching the rangers' wives and children cooking and sewing skills. Plans are in the works to provide the rangers' homes with things like furniture, bedding and TV sets. We also are working on creating a play area with slides and a swing set for the children and are gathering soccer balls and clothing for the rangers' soccer team.