A number of MMG employees are sponsors of J.A.C.K., a chimpanzee conservation organisation. J.A.C.K. stands for Jeunes Animaux Confisqués au Katanga, which translates to ‘Young Animals Confiscated in Katanga’. J.A.C.K. is an independent, self-funded NGO in Lubumbashi DRC, that acts as a sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees confiscated by the Ministry of Environment. J.A.C.K.’s goal is to stop the pet trade and eventually return the chimpanzees to the wild.
In early May MMG employees from Kinsevere and iBM (Integrated Business Management, an internal department) answered the call from J.A.C.K. to assist with donations of fruit and vegetables to improve the chimps’ diet and health during the colder months.
The 39 resident chimps eat approximately 140kg of food each day, but due to limited funds, vitamin-rich fruit and vegetables are not always available. With generous cash donations in hand, the Social Development team fairly sourced sugar cane, bush onions and cucumbers from a mix of vendors in Kinsevere’s neighbouring Kilongo village and arranged for the purchase of two ute loads of produce from vegetable co-operative Gromak (Groupe des Maraichers de Kinsevere).
The team at J.A.C.K were delighted with the donations which were incorporated into the chimpanzees’ daily feeding program, as well as into the enrichment program, whereby fruit is hidden throughout the sanctuary for the chimps to excitedly discover.
Thank you to everyone who helped make these deliveries happen, with a special mention to Monique Mweni Mbuyi who carefully liaised with local vendors in a way that maximised the number of people able to benefit from the extra income for their produce.
For more information on the fantastic work that J.A.C.K. does and how you can help, visit www.jacksanctuary.org.