Our objective, like yours, is to preserve Uganda’s rich heritage. The preservation of both flora and fauna in the world today is one of the most important things we can do. UEI Conservation Group is committed to joining Uganda’s conservation thrust in preserving natural environments and the wild creatures that inhabit them. We can achieve our common goals through the setting up of nature and wildlife sanctuaries; through pro-active anti-poaching work; through education; the training of environmental officers from local communities and getting people to understand the value of the rich natural heritage that surrounds them. Our focus therefore is to create a wildlife sanctuary to preserve both land and flora & fauna; to build a Daktari animal hospital to tend to injured animals and rehabilitate them; to build an anti-poaching barrier, defending Uganda’s rich natural heritage. . . .
FOUNDING STATEMENT OF UGANDA EKKULA CONSERVATION GROUP
UEI was started to provide conservation education, environmental training and employment to under-privileged individuals and communities with various other strategies to combat poaching and conserve nature, including starting up wildlife sanctuaries and wilderness preserves. It incorporates a wide range of integrated projects to fight poaching and the destruction of the environment.
Our desire is to stop the human race from a headlong rush into oblivion and because of greed push the rest of creation into it before taking the final step to total destruction. Our wish is to imbue the generations extant on planet Earth today with a respect of Mother Earth and all her creations, the flora & fauna, and the different environments and habitats that provide sustenance and life to them. We wish to generate in humankind the understanding and empathy that leads to preservation and conservation.
Education is a major part in combating poaching but it has been sorely over-looked in the past. UEI will rectify this. Our aim is to provide reading material that will teach sound environmental and conservation morals and principles, motivating present generations with a think nature first attitude and mindset. We intend to achieve this by utilizing The Adventure Book Series, The Conservation Book, Animal Alphabet and other conservation education material that teaches why preserving our planet and all life on it is so important. To assist learners and adults alike we will run environmental workshops, community plays and school talks to create awareness and impact to get children interested and involved in protecting the flora and fauna of Uganda, its most precious resource.
UEI will train Eco-Scouts from underprivileged communities and employ them to monitor varying environments around Uganda, any pollution, the wildlife and any poaching that might be prevalent in different areas. They will also educate people about preservation of flora & fauna.
UEI will run a wildlife rehabilitation and sanctuary, provide anti-poaching support where needed and gather poaching intelligence to ascertain trends that damage the country and impact natural habitats and their wildlife.
UEI will work hand in hand with will existing conservation bodies and government agencies to enhance the stature of conservation and environmental protection in Uganda. It will create a dedicated team to respond to threats posed by poachers and relocate injured wildlife and animals in distress. Our intention is to assist the government of Uganda in its preservation of wildlife, in conservation education and the beautification of the country. . . .
Proposed centers. One is the design of the Cultural & Sports Center, the other for our Wildlife Sanctuary/Anti-Poaching Base/Conservation Education Center. The fish farms main function will be to restock lakes so to stimulate the fishing livelihoods of local communities.
Wildlife Education
The Sports & Cultural Center also incorporates: A pharmacy; calisthenics; basketball; netball; 5-a-side football; a computer skills center; gym, Olympic size swimming pool and enclosed shelter for indoor games, Construct learning centres, Technology labs, administrative blocks, staff houses and a club house for recreation.
Wildlife Preservation & Conservation Education:
This conservation education program includes material we have done for a complete curricula for schools. Each school should have an adequate supply of the reading and education materials we have created.
WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
This is an area of land demarcated for the animal preserve and will have the Conservation Center located on it. The design of which you have. It will act as a teaching center for both adults & children, as a training center, as accommodation for overseas guests, offices, be the center of conservation education in the area, be a center for the coordination of anti-poaching strategies in the area in which it is located, and a wildlife rehabilitation and medical center.
The Wildlife Sanctuary with its Animal Daktari Center will take care of all wildlife brought into the center and relocate them back to the areas they were found in or place them in the sanctuary if that is not at all practicable. But, it is much more than that, the Conservation Center is used to teach preservation of wildlife and the habitats they live in, we will teach the importance of biodiversity and the need to have a small carbon footprint on our planet. It trains conservation officers from various communities and sends them back into their places of domicile in order for them to promote the beauty and care of nature. In short the center cater a media and communication center, an education unit, a central information and command center with a wildlife hot-line, it will cater for tactical response to stem the tide of poaching (an active anti-poaching unit), it will conduct investigations and gather intelligence on poaching to enable an appropriate response to poaching in both the area of the sanctuary and also outlying areas where UEI can be of benefit.
THE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
We will develop a large concession of land to build a wildlife sanctuary and nature reserve. Within the bounds of the reserve a conservation center with offices, classrooms, lecture hall, kitchen& canteen, anti-poaching operations room, communications room, central information & command center, investigations & anti-poaching intelligence office, dog unit operations will be built. The sanctuary will be fenced to protect it from poaching and to stop wildlife from disturbing local communities. All buildings will utilize local materials, such as stone, wood, thatch etc. to blend into the environment in which it is situated. Fauna will be dependent on the area in which the reserve is located and what animals are brought in to be tended to and rehabilitated. There is also the possibility of relocated wildlife being brought in as well . . .
The staff will comprise of UEI personnel, both Ugandan and non-Ugandan. It will have a helipad with two helicopters; a runway strip for aircraft and associated infrastructure. Not only will the aircraft be used in anti-poaching support but to ferry cargo, tourists and as air ambulances in emergency. The sanctuary will have dirt roads, boreholes with water points for wildlife and lookout points for visitors. . . .
FISH FARM
The fish farm will be built adjacent to the first sanctuary and will provide young fish for the restocking of lakes in the area in which it is located.
COPERATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Phase One:-
a) Wildlife Sanctuary with conservation anti-poaching and environmental education center
b) Wildlife Education (including the supply and distribution of educational material to schools)
c) Fish Farm Project
d) Solar Power Project
Phase Two:-
a) Sports Center
b) Housing Development
c) Old Age Homes
Phase Three:-
a) Clinics & Pharmacies & Tropical Disease Prevention and Education
ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICERS
UEI personnel will train Environmental Officers chosen from various rural areas around Uganda. These EOs will be instructed on wildlife conservation, habitat preservation, anti-poaching through the removal of traps, monitoring of the land and wildlife in rural areas to prevent pollution and environmental destruction and other duties. Returning to their areas they will report to senior UEI personnel who will also monitor their effectiveness. Their duties will also include teaching their respective communities to protect and respect both flora and fauna, and to report abuses and illegalities to relevant authorities and our own anti-poaching team.
UEI ANTI-POACHING
UEI’s anti-poaching teams will be comprised of flexible and mobile units able to respond by air and ground. They will liaise and work with the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, police and armed services of Uganda. Through a network of intelligence alerts a team can be deployed where required. Utilizing the UEI Dog Unit they will be available to conduct roadblocks and searches of automobiles/aircraft and buildings. The anti-poaching dogs will be trained to detect a number of scents, from carrion, animal horns & wildlife products, firearms, explosives and drugs, thereby having greater flexibility and providing better service for the Ugandan government. UEI’s anti-poaching team will primarily patrol the area in and around the reserve and remove traps and snares but they will be available to respond to the needs of other reserves if called upon. UEI’s aircraft will be used as spotters in the air and will be coordinated with ground personnel operating drones to monitor various areas to create an anti-poaching barrier. Being a rapid response unit they will provide a unique service to Uganda.
THE CONSERVATION CENTER
The Conservation Center will not only act as headquarters for our anti-poaching thrust and a training center for environmental officers, but it will also act as a center for teaching and conservation education center for both children, rural community members and overseas visitors alike. Our premise, ‘Teach the gospel of Conservation’ to all, imparting a love of nature to all and educating all on the necessity of preserving what we have. Our plan is to provide an experience visitors will never forget, interacting with wildlife in a safe environment, helping injured animals to regain health and to assist in their rehabilitation. It will be the training center for all UEI personnel and Environmental Officers. And, it is an educational center that will also accommodate the Anti-Poaching Unit, Dog Unit, Intelligence & Communications sections, and the Central Information Command Center tasked with linking up with other conservation structures in Uganda to provide a combined response to poaching and smuggling of animals and wildlife products.
DAKTARI ANIMAL HOSPITAL & REHABILITATION CENTER
Between the Conservation Center and the accommodation area & lodge will be the Daktari Animal Center. Open to all animals from anywhere in Uganda. It will have a fully equipped animal surgery and a rehabilitation area comprised of bomas for both large and not so large animals. The boma for the elephants will have an electrified fence so they can get acclimatized to fences of this type. Once healthy wildlife will either be returned to the areas in which they were found or released into our own Rocky Wildlife Sanctuary. The staff will comprise of UEI personnel, either volunteers or permanent staffers with relevant training from Uganda and other countries.
ACCOMMODATION & LODGE
Further away from the base of operations in the sanctuary will be the accommodation area catering for the staff of the conservation center, animal hospital, anti-poaching units and dog units. The accommodation area will also cater for volunteers and there will be a lodge for visitors and guests. The main lodge will house guest rooms, lounge, recreational and game viewing areas and other amenities including a swimming pool. All structure designs and interiors will reflect African traditional and portray an out of Africa style. They will be of sustainable design, combining green construction and social conscience, using local labor and materials such as wood, rock, grass etc.. The building will utilize solar power for energy, cooking and water heating, and have a generator as back-up. The buildings will be constructed on a ridge or an area that catches natural breezes. Much thought and careful planning has to be taken as to the integration of the buildings into the surrounding environment within the sanctuary. Guests will be able to interact with younger animals within the sanctuary and take game drives and walking safaris, also taking part in conservation oriented activities. At the end of the day visitors can relax in the lodge and taste local dishes and experience Ugandan hospitality. Our intention is to create an unforgettable experience that reflects African tradition in an airy high-pitched thatch building that gives a unique ‘Out of Africa’ experience. . . .
CONCLUSION
UEI personnel will design, build and run the UEI Wildlife Sanctuary, using the abilities of local people and supporting local communities. Local materials will be used in the construction where possible. Local artisans will assist in the furnishings to reflect true Ugandan style and tradition. State of the art medical equipment will be sourced from the US and Europe. UEI personnel will oversee all aspects of construction and operate the reserve/sanctuary, the Daktari medical & rehabilitation center anti-poaching work, lodge etc.
Financing to acquire land and implementing the project will require international conservation Donors, government input from the Wildlife Authority and Tourism Departments with an operational budget covering a period of five years to establish the sanctuary and the various conservation programs. Eventually our intention would be to generate income from private sources through tourism and TV promoting both the sanctuary and Uganda as a tourist destination. . . .