Perth Zimfest!

The 2008 Zimfest was held in aid of S.O.A.P (Support for Old Age Pensioners). Over $19,000 was raised at the zimfest, which less around $5,000 in expenses, left over $14,000 to be donated to the charity. A huge thank you to everyone for their fantastic support, and rising to the occasion so enthusiastically.

A write up about S.O.A.P by one of the volunteer's on the committee is available here.

This years Zimfest will also be for SOAP, as we beleive it is the closest charity to the hearts of the majority of Zimbabweans in Perth. 20% however is going to the Anti Poaching cause in Zimbabwe, as in recent months, with attention being spent on alot of other things, poaching has excalated (only now in recent months) to an uncontrollable level, alot higher than it has ever been, and is now a matter of national emergency in the country. Part of the problem is that this couldn't have happened at a worse time - in the middle of a financial recession when people have got alot better things to do than to donate money to this cause, net alone spend time trying to raise awareness for it, or trying to arrange fund raising events for it. This is why James Reid and Riley Travers have embarked on their Source to Sea paddle of the Zambezi river to help raise money and raise awareness for this cause. This is a mammoth task that will take them 3 months and I think it is well worth giving them a cut of this years zimfest. Here is an extract from their web page:

James Reid and Riley Travers (above) will be canoeing down the mighty Zambezi River in an effort to raise awareness for the plight of the Black Rhino in Africa and to raise funds for www.thetashingainitiative.org who are at the forefront of conservation efforts to save the Rhinos populations in Zimbabwe.

Starting on 1st May from the rivers source in the north west of Zambia they will paddle the entire 2500 kilometres of the river to the mouth in the Zambezi delta where it spills into the sea. This epic journey of theirs will take approximately 3 months to complete and the Wildlife Photographer Magazine and Olympus will be following their journey photographically along the way. We encourage all of you to follow their progress and be part of this amazing adventure.

“Never before has the survival of the endangered Black Rhino been more under threat than today, with conservationists struggling to control an unprecedented increase in poaching, something needs to be done. And as wildlife photographers we encourage all of you out there who are either wildlife photographers or just enthusiasts to join us in raising awareness for this dwindling species. Remember it is from animals like these that we the wildlife photographers ultimately derive our income.”

Gavin St Leger
Editor
Wildlife Photographer Magazine

Visit their Facebook Page Here... and their blog here...

There is also a dire problem in Zimbabwe's major tourist town of Victoria Falls. Charles Brightman in Victoria Falls has dedicated his life, freely and willingly and to mention bloody effieicently to running the Vic Falls Anti Poaching Unit (VFAPU), relying entirely on donations from the community of Victoria Falls and overseas donors. It is fast becoming a big problem however because if Victoria Falls looses its fast dwindling population of wild life completely, then there is one less attraction for tourists to come to the town, cutting off the vital lifeline of business (what business is left!) for the community of Victoria Falls. Charles Brightman is fantastic at providing updates and reports to it's donors of exactly how VFAPU has spent the money they donated, what areas need more support and which areas the donated money helped in. He backs these reports up with photos and video footage. He beleives that this is real reward for donating money - seeing right there in front of you in the form of photos, and statistical graphs how their money has helped. This is why he has been so successful in the past with obtaining funding to continue his great work. The problem now arises in a financial recession when suddenly everyone's (not just Zimbabweans) priorities begin to shift, while Charles keeps his exactly as they have always been. Zimfest is honoured to be able to give something back, however small, to encourage Charles Brightman to keep up his fantastic cause.

Here is a link to the VFAPU website





The 2008 Zimfest was held in aid of S.O.A.P (Support for Old Age Pensioners). Over $19,000 was raised at the zimfest, which less around $5,000 in expenses, left over $14,000 to be donated to the charity. A huge thank you to everyone for their fantastic support, and rising to the occasion so enthusiastically. A write up about S.O.A.P by one of the volunteer's on the committee is available here. This years Zimfest will also be for SOAP, as we beleive it is the closest charity to the hearts of the majority of Zimbabweans in Perth. 20% however is going to the Anti Poaching cause in Zimbabwe, as in recent months, with attention being spent on alot of other things, poaching has excalated (only now in recent months) to an uncontrollable level, alot higher than it has ever been, and is now a matter of national emergency in the country. Part of the problem is that this couldn't have happened at a worse time - in the middle of a financial recession when people have got alot better things to do than to donate money to this cause, net alone spend time trying to raise awareness for it, or trying to arrange fund raising events for it. This is why James Reid and Riley Travers have embarked on their Source to Sea paddle of the Zambezi river to help raise money and raise awareness for this cause. This is a mammoth task that will take them 3 months and I think it is well worth giving them a cut of this years zimfest. Here is an extract from their web page: James Reid and Riley Travers (above) will be canoeing down the mighty Zambezi River in an effort to raise awareness for the plight of the Black Rhino in Africa and to raise funds for www.thetashingainitiative.org who are at the forefront of conservation efforts to save the Rhinos populations in Zimbabwe. Starting on 1st May from the rivers source in the north west of Zambia they will paddle the entire 2500 kilometres of the river to the mouth in the Zambezi delta where it spills into the sea. This epic journey of theirs will take approximately 3 months to complete and the Wildlife Photographer Magazine and Olympus will be following their journey photographically along the way. We encourage all of you to follow their progress and be part of this amazing adventure. “Never before has the survival of the endangered Black Rhino been more under threat than today, with conservationists struggling to control an unprecedented increase in poaching, something needs to be done. And as wildlife photographers we encourage all of you out there who are either wildlife photographers or just enthusiasts to join us in raising awareness for this dwindling species. Remember it is from animals like these that we the wildlife photographers ultimately derive our income.” Gavin St Leger Editor Wildlife Photographer Magazine Visit their Facebook Page Here... and their blog here... There is also a dire problem in Zimbabwe's major tourist town of Victoria Falls. Charles Brightman in Victoria Falls has dedicated his life, freely and willingly and to mention bloody effieicently to running the Vic Falls Anti Poaching Unit (VFAPU), relying entirely on donations from the community of Victoria Falls and overseas donors. It is fast becoming a big problem however because if Victoria Falls looses its fast dwindling population of wild life completely, then there is one less attraction for tourists to come to the town, cutting off the vital lifeline of business (what business is left!) for the community of Victoria Falls. Charles Brightman is fantastic at providing updates and reports to it's donors of exactly how VFAPU has spent the money they donated, what areas need more support and which areas the donated money helped in. He backs these reports up with photos and video footage. He beleives that this is real reward for donating money - seeing right there in front of you in the form of photos, and statistical graphs how their money has helped. This is why he has been so successful in the past with obtaining funding to continue his great work. The problem now arises in a financial recession when suddenly everyone's (not just Zimbabweans) priorities begin to shift, while Charles keeps his exactly as they have always been. Zimfest is honoured to be able to give something back, however small, to encourage Charles Brightman to keep up his fantastic cause. Here is a link to the VFAPU website

© 2009 Zimfest Australia.