Pafuri Communities: A Shared History
The people living in this unique part of Southern Africa have a shared rich history. The Pafuri region is mostly comprised of Shangann in South Africa & Zimbabwe and & Mozambique with a mixture of Venda. Nearly all communities have relatives which live across political borders and visit each other regularly by walking across the Limpopo River or using 'back' roads to cross international borders.
The communities have been joined together through wars and forced removals in the last 150 years. The Pafuri Region was made famous by the various 'crooks' who came here to hide from the law. Then the area was hit by intermittent bush wars from Zimbabwe/Rhodesia and the Mozambique Civil war, while South Africa fought 'terrorists' in the area during the apartheid regime.
The communities have lived through much together and are an integral part of the Pafuri Corner and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.
Masisi Primary, one of the 18 primary schools
we are focusing on.
A village elder meeting to discuss the programme, Samu, Zimbabwe.
Communities & Conservation
World Parks, World Cup strives to bring communities and conservation closer together through school programmes, working with local youth groups and spreading the positive message of conservation and its opportunities through the tournaments we hold.
World Parks, World Cup uses sport to be a positive force for social impact in some of the most remote communities of Southern Africa. Our drive is to inspire youth to be protectors of the environment - conservationists and not poachers. We also use creative games to challenge the young and the youth to think and learn about HIV/AIDs, Gender equality and, substance abuse.
By engaging communities via World Parks, World Cup over time, with effort and passion there will be a change in the future for the better - to encourage local people to manage local social issues and to increase awareness locally and across the GLTP.
PARKS
Kruger National Park
One of the world's most iconic national parks, a must for any visitor to South Africa. This park was established in 1898. The Kruger National Park borders many communities along its 360 km boundary. The park is always striving to balance wildlife protection and community development. Supporting World Parks, World Cup is one of the many different ways the Kruger benefits local communities.
Limpopo National Park
The LNP, at over 1 million hectares, is a vast wilderness area where The Parc National do Limpopo was redisignated in 2001 from a hunting reserve to a national park and formally opened in 2005. widlife and communities still exist together, especially along the borders. One of the initatives of World Parks, World Cup is a drive to motivate communities to help protect the environment through our sports and youth initiatives.
Gonarezhou
Gonarezhou National Park, the second largest in Zimbabwe, was formed in 1975. Spread over 5,000sq km and dissected by three rivers (the Runde, Save and, Mwenezi), Gonarezhou now forms the northern part of the GLTP. The three parks now have more than 500 species of birds, 147 species of mammals, at least 116 species of reptiles, 34 species of frogs and 49 species of fish.
Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park
Being signed into existence in December 2002 by the Heads of State of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, the GLTP encompassed 37,572km² at its inception. The park now has a total conservation area which almost covers a staggering 100,000km²!
The diversity of flora and fauna in this transfrontier park is vast, combined with the many communities residing in the conservation area makes for a challenging balance between conservation and community development.
The GLTP shows what positive steps can happen through cooperation in the never-ending tug-of-war between conservation of the world's flora and fauna and community awareness of the importance of conservation and social development.