
About Chipembele
Chipembele
Wildlife Education
Centre is a fun, interactive
and contemporary
learning facility
for Zambian children.
It focuses its
programmes on
wildlife, the
environment and
conservation issues.
 The
Centre is
located on the
banks of the Luangwa
River opposite
South Luangwa
National Park.
It is a wonderful,
unspoiled setting
for local children
to learn about
the value of their
natural environment.
This education
will help to both
protect the wildlife
and generate sustainable
development for
the benefit of
the local population
for generations
to come.
Chipembele is run under the
auspices of a
registered Zambian
charitable trust.
It was established
and is now managed
by Steve
and Anna Tolan, who emigrated
from England to
Zambia in 1998
to fulfill their
dream of building
and running such
a centre. It is
supported in the
UK by Chipembele
Trust,
a registered UK
charity.

Since
then however,
the Trust
has progressed
to encompass
much more
than the
Wildlife
Education
Centre. The work has expanded its programme of conservation education into the local schools and operates a Chipembele Rangers scheme through the school conservation clubs. Anna manages
school improvement
projects,
runs a Pupil
Sponsorship
Scheme and
is involved
with local
women’s
groups.
Steve is
an actively
involved
in anti-poaching
work and
forestry
protection.
Chipembele
also has
a seat on
the Board
of Trustees
of the South
Luangwa
Conservation
Society,
where Anna
has the
position
of Secretary.
They rear
and rehabilitate
orphaned
and injured
wild animals
and they
have made
discoveries
of archaeological
and palaeontological
importance.
Why
Chipembele?
Chipembele
(pronounced chip-em-bay-lee)
is the local or
Nyanja name for
rhino. Until
the 1970's the
Luangwa Valley
had the highest
concentration
of black rhinos
in Africa. Then
poachers came
for their horn
and by the late
1980's all the
rhinos had been
wiped out.
It
is an important
conservation lesson
for the children
to learn …. if we do
not look after
our wildlife,
even abundant
species can be
wiped out
forever.

|