Hero – When Patlego Machete lived with her grandmother in rural Mpumalanga, she couldn’t wait to escape to the bright city lights. It was only years later that she realised the bush had always been calling her back – and now she is imparting this rekindled passion for nature to children as a conservation facilitator at Good Work Foundation (GWF).

As we celebrate World Wildlife Day on 3 March, Patlego and other young conservation champions wish to drive home the importance of educating children – as future custodians of our natural heritage – about conserving wildlife and caring for the environment.

Patlego’s journey may have since come full circle but, as a young village girl, “I wanted a different kind of life – I envied the city life. I needed to go and find myself,” she reminisces.

After matriculating, she had hoped to become a chartered accountant but was not accepted into college. Then she heard about GWF’s Conservation Academy and decided to enrol, not really knowing what it was all about.

“Three months down the line, I fell in love with nature – it was insane!” laughs Patlego. She would stop to identify rocks as she walked home, eliciting curious stares – “and that’s when I realised this is for me”. Accounting was history!

Today, Patlego is a qualified GWF conservation facilitator who loves taking schoolchildren into the bush on educational game drives. She says they get so excited seeing lions, zebras, wildebeest and elephants for the first time – even though they live close enough to these wild spaces to throw a stone in there, most have never had the opportunity to visit a game reserve because of affordability.

“If you have a dream, it’s better to go for it than to just do nothing and feel sorry for yourself. My dream came true, and I’m grateful for the risks I took and the people who helped me along the way.”

Neo finds her groove as a game ranger

Neo Mnisi, another GWF conservation graduate who works as a ranger and guide at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, was hooked on the great outdoors from an early age.

Neo grew up with her grandmother in rural Bushbuckridge, where life was tough. “When the rivers were full [and impassable], there was no going to school, even though I was a top student, getting 100% for my Natural Sciences tests. Sometimes, I would go to school with no lunch.”

After a few personal setbacks, Neo took the plunge and enrolled at the education non-profit’s Bridging Year Academy in 2020, and after that its Conservation Academy. “I’ve always loved reading and learning, so for me it was easy to go back to school,” she declares. “And I love nature.”

Thanks to GWF’s network of hospitality contacts, Neo landed a job as a transfer driver at Sabi Sabi. “They gave me a chance, enabling me to gain confidence as a driver. My driving improved a LOT in those first three months!” Neo then became a trainee ranger and, in February 2024, she qualified as a ranger. She is instrumental to teach children in her village about different bird calls and the importance of not harming wildlife.

A conservation hero who never rests

Zuzumuzi Gumede, a facilitator at GWF’s Conservation Academy who has also worked at the Open Learning Academy, is a natural teacher who thrives on activity. “My favourite animal is an elephant – because elephants are always busy, moving around and doing something. They seldom rest.”

This animal lover was named a conservation hero during last year’s Extra Mile trail run (an initiative of the More Community Foundation) that passes the GWF’s campus in Huntington village – small.

“The natural environment is part of us as human beings – without it, we are nothing. It’s our duty to protect and sustain it. If we damage our ecosystems, humans are the next to be damaged. So we should learn to conserve our environment so it can sustain itself,” says Zuzumuzi.

Good Work Foundation (GWF) is an education non-profit that runs six digital learning campuses in rural Mpumalanga and the Free State. It operates an Open Learning Academy for primary schoolchildren, to boost their English literacy and numeracy skills through wonder-filled digital-led and creativity-enhanced learning.