by Gerrit Bester
Dr Cheryl Ogilvie of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Department of Nature Conservation (Faculty of Science) becomes almost lyrical when she talks about the Ndumo Community project. Her narrative explains why the Ndumo community calls her Nomzamo (a Zulu name for someone who tries and never gives up).
Her unwavering passion and determination for the Ndumo community has earned Dr Cheryl Ogilvie from the TUT Department of Nature Conservation the name of Nomzamo (a Zulu name for someone who tries and never gives up).
The name fits this social ecologist and environmental educationalist like a glove. Her work with the Ndumo community is a testament to her unwavering determination and passion to make a difference. It is also a reminder that with perseverance, anything is possible.
This unique project, a long-standing outreach initiative of the University, anchored by a Memorandum of Understanding with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, is celebrating 26 years of impacting the heads, hands and hearts of this community in KwaZulu-Natal. The poverty-stricken area lies adjacent to the Ndumo Game Reserve, close to South Africa's border with Mozambique and Swaziland.
It was once dubbed the ‘forgotten community.’
But where did TUT's involvement begin? Dr Ogilvie recalls that the link between TUT and Ndumo began in 1998 when the University, and in particular Dr Ansie Greeff from the Department of Mathematics, became involved in a research project in the reserve to develop a mathematical model for game counting. But it developed very quickly.
A subsequent request from her HoD at the time, Attie Botha, to see how the Department of Nature Conservation could get involved, followed.
Not one to rest on her laurels, Dr Ogilvie's main aim from the outset was to change the Ndumo people's perceptions and attitudes towards the environment, particularly in relation to issues such as deforestation, poaching, river washing, littering, plastic burning, etc. She also had to deal with the community killing owls, snakes, chameleons and frogs, due to fear and beliefs.
"It was hard at first. I was an outsider, but I grew with the community," she says.
Dr Ogilvie's main focus is on an environmental education project for schools in Ndumo, providing learners with environmental education programmes.
True to her nature, there is one condition. It has to be fun and worthwhile.
This approach has borne fruit, and slowly but surely Dr Ogilvie has built up an army of young eco-warriors, also known as youth ambassadors, who would not hesitate to caution an old lady using her kettie (slingshot) to kill something for the pot, or someone chopping down a tree for firewood. They are the voice in the community as they relay the messages learnt at the Environmental Education Centre.
Many of these ecowarriors have successfully completed their Nature Conservation diplomas at TUT, and some have gone further and completed their B Tech’s and Master’s.
Some have also studied at the SA Wildlife College, while others have become teachers.
Today, Dr Ogilvie and her team of TUT students are involved in 21 schools, giving up to 35 sessions (Grades 3, 7 and 8) a month on the environment, sometimes also involving the iziNdunas (tribal leaders) of the area. Back in 2000 only eight schools were involved.
Between three and four Nature Conservation students are permanently based at Ndumo as part of their Work-integrated Learning and some are registered Advanced Diploma or Postgraduate students. During the University holidays in June and July, a group of students also travel to the reserve to help with game counts (which unfortunately stopped after Covid due to a lack of funding), repairing fences, grading roads and educating 14 to 15 groups of Grade 7 learners. They also work with orphans and vulnerable children from the Ndumo Drop-in Centre.
Dr Ogilvie admits that the project would not have been as successful without financial support, particularly that solicited by the TUT Advancement and Partnerships Office (APO). The APO's efforts in fundraising and cultivating strategic partnerships with various stakeholders have provided important resources and opportunities for collaboration. Additionally, the APO's commitment to the project's sustainability and growth has ensured its continued impact.
Over the years, many loyal donors have supported the project, such as the HCI Foundation and e'Pap. e'Pap, one of the current donors, is an affordable, scientifically developed, nutrient-dense instant porridge that has made a huge difference in the fight against malnutrition in the area.
Dr Ogilvie has also been successful in getting various TUT environments involved in the project, including the Department of Crop Sciences, and, at some point, even enlisted the help of her mother, Aileen, who initiated the Gogo's Knitting Club for elderly women in Ndumo. Through this initiative, women from the Ndumo community have been taught how to knit a variety of items including baby, children and adult sweaters, as well as blankets, handbags, beanies and scarves, all with the aim of generating income.
Dr Ogilvie acknowledges the hard work of Richard Sinden (TUT Transport Department) and Wendy Birch, lecturer at the Department of Computer Science, who presented several workshops at Ndumo.
It is clear that Dr Ogilvie's efforts have had a positive impact on the community, empowering its members through skills development and economic opportunities.
Other milestones include the creation of vegetable gardens, training guides to boost cultural ecotourism, the upgrading of the Environmental Education Centre, several academic research projects culminating in qualifications ranging from diplomas to PhDs, etc.
Ndumo's success stories are heart-warming, such as that of Ntombifuthi (Futhi) Khumalo. Futhi was only two years old when her father died and was in primary school when her mother passed away. She had to fend for herself with the help of her older brother who is a ranger at Tembe Elephant Park.
Years later, Futhi enrolled for a B Tech in Nature Conservation at TUT and completed a second qualification. Today, she is a District Conservation Officer in Greytown and works for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. She is now able to provide for her extended family.
In 2023, a learner who also benefited from the environmental awareness programme, was named the best Grade 12 in KZN.
Of course, having been involved with the project for so long, Dr Ogilvie has plenty of anecdotes to share, including the time she was almost "taken out" by a crocodile.
"Once, on a game count in a boat on the river, one of the students fell out of the boat and I dived in to help him, only to come face to face with a crocodile. Fortunately, one of the rangers was able to grab a stick and get rid of the crocodile," Dr Ogilvie says wryly.
Dr Ogilvie says she has probably travelled to and from Ndumo more than a hundred times in the past 26 years. It is almost 650km from Tshwane and the road to get there is a tough one.
These visits have benefited thousands of lives (residents and students) and you would have to look far and wide to find a better example of a community project that embraces the spirit of Ubuntu.
The Ndumo community has certainly shed the 'forgotten community' label.
- Donors who want to get involved in this worthy project can email Phumla Msibi at the TUT Advancement and Partnerships Office (APO) at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Opportunities for involvement include providing financial and in-kind donations, engaging in strategic collaborations and offering expertise or resources that can further the project's mission.
Your support will be instrumental in continuing and expanding this impactful initiative, driving positive change and fostering sustainable development within the Ndumo community.
The Tshwane University of Technology would like to thank the following donors who have generously supported the project over the last 26 years: First Rand Foundation; South African Reserve Bank; Liberty Life; Tony and Lisette Lewis Foundation; DaimlerChrysler South Africa (Pty) Ltd, WK Kellogg Foundation; 3M South Africa; Safmarine; Land Bank; Old Mutual Foundation; New Zealand High Commission; Rand Merchant Bank; HCI Foundation; Econoncom Foods (e’Pap); United Nations Development Programme; and Craig Niven.
The Ndumo Community project is a long-standing outreach initiative of the University, anchored by a Memorandum of Understanding with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. This year it celebrates 26 years of impacting the heads, hands and hearts of this community in KwaZulu-Natal.