After years of overcoming obstacles to secure pristine habitat for elephants and rhino’s next to the greater Madikwe reserve, in 2021, ERP - together with our partner – the local Barokologadi Community, finally launched this long-term strategic project. We have established the Melorane ERP Game Reserve, on community-owned land, and are creating economic opportunities for beneficiaries of the Barokologadi Community Property Association (BCPA).
Through our 90 year lease of the community-owned property, the Melorane ERP Game Reserve has become our flagship project. We aim to franchise this model into many other conservation areas.
We have completed the big-5 game proof fence around the conservation area, and registered the area as a Game Reserve. We are also implementing our anti-poaching model to protect rhino and elephants on the conservation area.
We are protecting big trees that will imminently be exposed to elephants accessing the Molatedi dam, by putting beehives in them (bees are a natural elephant deterrent). The beehives are owned by the Melorane Apiarists led by ERP’s Portia Morudi.
We have created a trust fund that we use to seed fund business around the conservation area, amongst others the Melorane Apiaries, Basebo Learning Institute, and vegetable and crop production.
We have implemented a math learning app for self-study purposes at the schools in the neighbouring villages, and have a feeding scheme for orphans and vulnerable people. The schools in the area are also the main beneficiaries of our #BIKES4ERP project, which provides bicycles to children as a means of transportation to get to school. In short, elephants and rhino welfare, through a strategy of poverty alleviation.
